


The Lure of the Hunt

by AchillesLament (11Mydesign11), You_Are_As_Alone_As_I_Am



Category: Hannibal (TV), Hannibal Extended Universe - Fandom, Jagten | The Hunt (2012)
Genre: #huntingstags, #saddogs, AU, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Angst with a Happy Ending, Awkwardness, Biting, Bloody Sex, Bottom Lucas, Bottom Will, Dark Will, Drinking, Eventual Happy Ending, Falling In Love, First Meetings, First Time, Fishing, Fluff and Smut, Forest Sex, Friends to Lovers, Hannigram - Freeform, Hunters & Hunting, Insecurity, Kissing, M/M, Makeup Sex, Masturbation, Minor Character Death, Misunderstandings, Mutual Pining, Nostalgia, Oral Sex, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Outdoor Sex, Puns & Word Play, Secrets, Slow Burn, Somewhat, TaggedHannigramSinceItsaRairPair, They both miss their dogs, Top Lucas, Top Will, will is a professor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-08
Updated: 2017-05-23
Packaged: 2018-09-30 19:18:26
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 49,136
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10169987
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/11Mydesign11/pseuds/AchillesLament, https://archiveofourown.org/users/You_Are_As_Alone_As_I_Am/pseuds/You_Are_As_Alone_As_I_Am
Summary: After the fall Will finds himself in Washington, seeking the quiet of the stream and solitude, what he doesn't expect is to meet a man who looks very much like the man he'd thought was gone forever--Lucas. Lucas, having escaped endless persecution in Denmark, hopes to find what he's very much been missing with Will, and that's friendship. To their mutual surprise they find much more than that.





	1. Chapter 1

 

_Dogs._ Will Graham missed his dogs, greatly, and there weren’t many strays to take in out in the woods in Snoqualmie Falls, Washington. Soon though, he’d have a pack again. His dogs weren’t the only thing he missed though--Hannibal Lecter was the other, and the thought was disturbing at best. The ex-agent ran his hand over his face and sighed quietly as he recalled what happened after their ‘lover’s leap’ from that cliff.

The first memory was the cold, rolling Atlantic, stabbing his body like a thousand knives, gutting him all over again, and then it was the loss...the loss of the grip he had on the good doctor.  After that, he’d blacked out, and by some miracle or perhaps by Hannibal, he ended up on shore, spitting out what seemed like a gallon of blood-tinged sea water. Right away, he’d called out for Hannibal, called until his lungs burned and muscles ached. _Nothing, no answer, no Hannibal Lecter._

Will wasn’t sure if Hannibal had died in that salty water and became a part of it, or had simply _left_ him there. He wasn’t sure which one of those options were worse. All he knew was that _he_ had survived, though he hadn’t meant to; it was supposed to be over now.

The months after that seemed to hold no accurate gauge for time; he’d left Baltimore right after, trudging out of the ocean and patching up his injuries as best as he’d been able to, finally finding a hospital along the way.  

Eventually, the profiler had made his way to Washington state, procuring a cabin in the woods. He only went to town for things he needed and to go to work.  He was teaching again, at a local university, which served to distract him from his thoughts for a little while.

Today, Will was going to go fly fishing, find peace, and wade out into the quiet of the stream. He finished his coffee, got up from the table, and put on his waders, taking his gear in hand. After that, he set out towards the bank that lead to a prime spot for trout. Once in place, he started to get his equipment ready. It was desolate, and while there were other cabins around, he assumed he wouldn’t be bothered.

 ***

He ran. Lucas ran, the only thing he could do. He was left with no choice. Despite his name being cleared, despite evidence clearly demonstrating he wasn't guilty of the heinous crimes they accused him of, the people in his sleepy town in Denmark still stared at him with accusing eyes. Someone had even tried to shoot him – a “hunting accident” planned, no doubt. They'd missed him by an inch. He was exhausted, broken, tired of living with the looks he'd still get, tired of the hate and fear in people's eyes. All he'd ever wanted to do was teach children, care for his son, live peacefully. He'd tried to put his life back together in the year following the event, but it wasn't happening. There was no normalcy for Lucas after that.

Marcus was an adult now, moved out of his home and headed to university in London. Nadja had left him, weary of the way people treated _her_ merely by being associated with Lucas. The man felt there was nothing left inside him to die – empty, alone, his heart in pieces in his chest. He carried on with life, but the dull ache remained.

And so, he found himself in America, in Washington state, so different from Denmark, truly another world. He just wanted to be alone, perhaps try and find a job, one where no one knew his face, no one could surmise the evil deeds he'd never done.

He'd found a cabin in the woods, isolated, in an area with plenty of wild game. After the cursory three months of living in America, he'd secured dual citizenship, and after another year, he finally had his hunting license. He was still broken inside, in pain, missing his old life, but he was trying to make something of himself, do something positive with the fate he'd been dealt. It was lonely though. He had trouble with people now; he had difficulty trusting anyone enough to let them close, and everything was so strange and foreign to him here. He'd gotten much better with his English, which helped, but he mostly kept to himself, still afraid to forge connections with anyone.

He was finally setting into the woods, his hunting rifle over his shoulder, enjoying the peacefulness and tranquility of nature. His closest neighbor had to be at least a mile away; he'd never seen a soul in these woods. But as he made his way through the forest towards the small stream at the base of the hill where his home sat, he caught a glimpse of someone. A man, standing in the middle of the water... _doing what?_ he wondered. Carefully stepping closer, he could make out that the man was in wading boots, fishing.

He stood silently watching him, nearing him slowly. He half considered turning away, but felt compelled to stay. Loneliness was eating away at him. Though he kept to himself, he’d felt so barren, starved for any friendly, positive human interaction, torn between his fear and the loss of intimacy that came with his isolation. His sandwich in his pocket, he decided he was hungry and sat down to eat, situating himself on a fallen log near the river bank. The man had his back to him. He didn't want to appear unfriendly, but he didn’t wish to startle him either; he decided he'd wait until he turned around to wave.

Will caught one, almost right away...he was a good fisherman. Turning, he started to wander back towards the bank to put his catch into the cooler he'd brought with him. It was so peaceful and relaxing, that at first he didn't notice someone sitting on that fallen log. When he did, his heart nearly skipped a beat. "Hannibal?" he said quietly, taking in a suddenly shaky breath when the man waved.

With the fish now in the ice, he walked over to the man. Hannibal didn't wear glasses; this man did. Hannibal would not be dressed in such a way, and certainly wouldn't have a hunting rifle. Will, again, wasn't sure if he should be relieved or disappointed. Normally he wouldn't have approached a stranger, he would have avoided them, but this man's appearance had forced him to investigate.

“Hello,” Lucas said, rising and wiping his hands on his corduroy pants. He nodded towards the younger man’s cooler. “They’re biting good today, it seems?” he said with a timid smile. Looking at the man close up now, there was a sharp stab of apprehension as a look of recognition flashed into his eyes. Lucas barely had a moment to notice how strikingly blue they were, before he noticed it, and for a moment he wondered how anyone in the middle of nowhere out here could know his secret.

At the smile, Will relaxed, still guarded for now, but he could see, as well as sense, that this man was anything _but_ Hannibal Lecter. "Hello," he greeted, giving a small smile in return, staring into familiar eyes. "Yes, caught a nice big trout. I'm Will, by the way." The empath wondered if he knew who he was, if he was a relative or something of Hannibal's; no, that couldn't be it.

Seeing the man relax, Lucas finally exhaled, mirroring his friendly tone. “I’m Lucas. Good to meet you.”

Will nodded, and returned the expression , something new for him really, smiling that much. He couldn't help it though, the man's energy just sort of pulled it out, despite the sadness behind the older man’s eyes.. "Lucas," he acknowledged, looking out at the treeline for a moment and sighed. 

“I hardly ever see anyone out here, so I didn’t mean to impose by stopping here,” Lucas offered hesitantly.

"No, no, it's...it's fine, no imposition. I have never seen anyone out here before now either. Do you fish, or just hunt?" Will asked, gesturing towards the hunting rifle.

“As a boy, I would fish, back home, but the last few years it’s just been hunting. I just got my American hunting license this week,” Lucas responded proudly. How long it had been since he’d felt anything close to pride. His guard was still up, but for now, Will seemed like a good person. He was kind, not put off by the Dane, and it felt good just to talk to another person again, normally. Just a conversation, no unspoken mistrust.

As Will listened, he walked over and sat beside Lucas on the log, though not too close, more at the other end, but angled towards him. The joy and pride on the other's face was palpable, but more than that, Will could related to it. He loved a good hunt, so speak; he'd hunted killers before, but now he just fished. The empath rubbed his hand over his chin, scratching idly there before speaking. "Good. It is peaceful out here. Quiet. Where is home, Lucas?"

“Denmark,” he said softly. Lucas rubbed his chin and pulled a cold beer from his pocket, opening the bottle with a small tool he carried, and offered Will a sip. “Would you like some?” He’d only brought one, but he wanted to share, something to keep the nice young man there with him, talking.

"Long way from here," Will chuckled, and extended his hand to take a hold of the beer. "Thanks, Lucas." He tipped his head back, long column of his throat exposed as he drank. It was good, not as much as whiskey, but it was cold, and went down smoothly. He handed it back to Lucas after that. This conversation was nice, relaxing even, not like the repartee he and Hannibal always engaged in, their proverbial game of chess.

“A world away, yes. It’s so different here...in a good way,” he explained, accepting the drink back from Will and brushing his hand as he did. Lucas looked down shyly and wrapped his lips around the bottle to drink the cold, carbonated liquid. Swallowing slowly, he looked back up at Will again. “Are you from this area?”

Will inhaled sharply at the touch, feeling some sort of a spark, but he chose to ignore for now, still keeping his fort strong. Admittedly though, the fact that the surly he was still here, well, that was something on its own. "No, I haven't been here too long, I came here from Maryland," he explained, licking the residual beer from his lips.

“I’ve only been here about a year myself. What...what do you do, Will? Is this your living?” he asked, gesturing to the fish in the cooler again. He wiped his damp palms on his thighs and adjusted his glasses.

"No," Will chuckled, gently, "I'm a professor at the university, I do this to...relax, and I like fish. What do you do, Lucas?" he asked, peaking a brow as he looked from the stream back to the Dane.

“I work at the sporting goods store in town. It’s...it’s not the best, but I make enough to live, and that’s all I need. I used to ahhh…oh, nothing...” he started to say, then shook his head, hoping Will might not ask him to finish the thought. He wiped his mouth and offered the bottle back to the young man.

Will looked up from his shoes at that, he thought about asking, also knew he could open up and feel him out, but that would be intrusive. Still, something came through. This man had seen tragedy, the Will could relate to that. "If it pays the bills, that's all that counts right? As long as you enjoy it," he offered, taking the beer with a nod and chugging a few swallows before handing it back.

Lucas took the bottle back and finished it, tasting Will on the glass. Not something he’d ever care about or notice, but there was a smoky taste there, something warm that appealed to the man. He shook the unusual thought from his mind and nodded. “It’s an honest living. I spend as much time as I can outside. It’s what I love most, being out here with nature where it’s quiet.”

"I enjoy the outdoors also. When I'm inside, I'm thinking about being out there, or making lures for my fishing." Will thought about his dogs, the outdoors reminding him of them usually. "Do you have any dogs?" Will asked, blurting it out a bit. He laughed at himself, quietly.

A heartbroken expression crossed Lucas’ sharp features, sadness filling his eyes. He looked away and licked his lips. “Not anymore. Not in a long time,” he said. He didn’t want to make this lovely chance meeting out to be about his tragic life, but a tear slipped from the corner of one amber eyes as an image of his beloved Fanny entered his mind’s eye. Everything in his life was now “was” and “used to”. He was trying to make it better, but the pain still haunted him too closely. Sniffing, he wiped his eye, trying to act as though it was the cold air. “How about you?”  

The sadness pushed through Will's barriers and hit him right in the chest. "I don't have mine anymore either." _Shit, good move, Graham_ , he thought to himself, not only had he provoked sadness in the other, but he'd let himself _feel_ it. He needed to change the subject, or maybe head back soon. “So, what do you hunt out here, Lucas?”

“Deer,” Lucas answered. “That’s what I hunted in Denmark. Not for sport, though. We’d use every part of the animal, nothing to waste. I don’t like that, especially when they are such majestic, beautiful, gentle creatures.” the older man looked around; they’d made far too much racket, even as quiet as they were, and he knew there’d be no kill for today. That was fine with him; there was always tomorrow.

When Lucas said that, Abigail flashed into his mind, her death, the blood...Hannibal. This was suddenly becoming overwhelming. He took a calming breath and looked out at the stream, nodding distantly. "They are, and it's best to honor every part of them."

Lucas nodded, detecting the distraction in Will, felt him go somewhere else. He felt suddenly compelled to make him stay, to not lose the company. Lucas was always wary, but was somehow comfortable with this young American. “Will, would you like to come to my cabin for a cup of coffee? Just talk, perhaps have a bite to eat?” Unspoken, under his soft exhale, lay his silent plea that perhaps they could be friends.

Will barely heard Lucas' offer, very distracted and adrift. "I, um, it's a great offer, Luke," the ex-agent said with a sigh, standing up. "But I need to get back. I have to prepare my lessons for class tomorrow." He wanted that cup of coffee, but this man seemed sweet, gentle, and Will didn't want to let him into his fucked up world and the darkness that engulfed it, no matter how much he wanted a friend as well. "I'm sure I'll see you around sometime though." He looked at him once more before turning away and heading back to get his cooler, going to his cabin after that. He didn't want to feel or see the disappointment.

Lucas stared after Will, not even able to say anything in response before the young man had left. Sunned that he had concluded their conversation so quickly, he felt that old familiar cut to his heart, the sting of rejection. As he walked back through the woods towards his cabin, he looked behind him, Will’s form now concealed in the thick foliage of the forest floor. The Dane thought back over their conversation. What had he said, what could have _already_ colored Will’s opinion of him? It didn’t matter. The man was alone, and he knew he always would be, stained with the ghosts of the past that still haunted him.

Will made it back to his cabin, and set down his cooler, going right for the aspirin. His head was throbbing from the over stimulation, the memories, how he'd had to let down such a nice man. Will took off his waders, and pulled out the whiskey. Putting out a glass, he poured two fingers and downed the pills, opening the cooler and gutting the fish once it was on the counter. Dinner for one.

***

The next couple of days went as they normally would have; Will went to work and taught class, but his mind kept going back to those warm, honeyed eyes. He couldn't seem to shake the thought of Lucas. Could they be friends, or was it more that he just reminded him of a better version of Hannibal Lecter? He pushed it back.

Finally, today after he finished grading papers, he got up from his desk and headed to that hardware store where Lucas had said he worked. It wasn't about Hannibal, it was about Luke. He _did_ see a potential for friendship. As Will walked through the door, a bell rang, jingling against the glass. He smoothed out his blue flannel shirt and straightened his glasses, sea-blue eyes scanning for the fellow outdoorsman.

Lucas was lost in thought, stocking the shelves with lures, when the sound of a customer walking in roused him from his silent reverie. Rising from a squat, he navigated the aisles to the front, but immediately recognized the dark brown curly head - Will. He furrowed his brow, wondering if he’d come specifically to see him, or for fishing gear. Had to be for gear; the younger man had said he’d only recently moved there, which would explain why Lucas hadn’t seen him in here before. He had to admit, he was pleased to see him again, but held his hopes in reserve as to Will’s motivation for coming.

“Good afternoon, Will,” Lucas greeted with a polite smile.

"Afternoon, Luke," Will greeted, offering a guilty smile. He was quiet for a second, his hands in his pockets, eyes cast to the lures before going back to Lucas. "I wanted to...apologize, about the other day and if you'd like, I'd love to get some coffee." A quiet sigh was let out after that, he wouldn't blame Lucas if he said no, especially after walking off the other day.

Lucas adjusted his glasses nervously, a little taken aback. “You...would like to have coffee?” he asked quietly, fighting down a small piece of him that was so excited, so happy for this fleeting connection. He looked around the store but returned his gaze back to Will, his blue eyes so clear even through his glasses.

Will smiled a little wider, trying to show Lucas his sincerity. "I would, if you still do, that is," he said, meeting the other's gaze. "I just...I build forts, keep people at a distance, it's easier that way. But you seem like a good guy, and I haven't had a friend in a long time."

The Dane felt a tug at his heart at the man’s words. He knew what that kind of solitude felt like, how difficult it was to not have anyone to confide in, any friends. He’d known that for far too long. “Easier...yes, it _is_ easier that way. Truth be told, I haven’t made any new friends since being here either; I mostly just keep to myself.” Lucas straightened up a shelf where they stood to keep himself busy and soothe his nerves. Turning back towards Will, he continued. “I’d love to have that coffee, Will, sure. When would you like to do that?” he asked, smiling warmly at the shorter man.  

Will brushed a wayward curl out of his eyes and rubbed his chin after that, studying Lucas with interest. He nodded at his words, knowing that feeling as well of course. "How does...after you get off work sound? Whenever is good for you, Luke," he said, taking off his glasses and putting them into his flannel shirt pocket. It signified more than what it might have appeared.

It was the first time in their short history that Lucas had seen the man without his glasses, and he was struck, namely at the unexpected beauty, of how much it changed his face, how open and warm he appeared. Lucas couldn’t help but beam at the gesture. The fact that Will deliberately looked him in the eyes like that, held his gaze, meant so much. “Yes, that works, Will. I’m off at four this afternoon. Where, uhh, w-where did you want to meet?” he stammered.

Will was still guarded, but he wanted to show Lucas he was sincere, and apologetic. He held back at smile at Lucas' stammering, and looked at the shelf for a second. "Four works for me. There's a cafe a couple buildings down, we could go there, or just have coffee at one of our places?" Private would really be better but he would leave it up to Lucas.

Lucas shifted his stance uneasily. “I’m not really one much for going out. I guess I’m a bit of an introvert. You would be welcome to come to my cabin, if it doesn’t make you uncomfortable?” Lucas asked. It seemed unlikely he’d take him up on it, but the truth was even after a year away from Denmark, he still was nervous being around too many people. Even though the possibility was non-existent that anyone could look at him as his townsman did, some memories are hard to erase.

"No, not at all," Will said, his pants tightening from the pull of his pockets as he angled his body to turn slightly. He was relieved that Lucas didn't want to go to a cafe honestly. "I don't like things that require me to be...sociable either, as a rule. One on one is more to my liking. Your cabin will be fine."

Lucas felt almost giddy as he gave the other man his address. A quiet part of his heart hoped maybe Will really could be his friend. Just the thought of having someone to drink with, joke with, talk to, made him feel a warmth inside he missed so much. “I should be home half past. I look forward to it,” he said, reaching to shake Will’s hand.

"Sounds good," Will said, grinning and taking Lucas' hand. He gave it a firm shake and then let go. He was happy for the same reason, a nice friend to drink or laugh with, maybe go fishing together, the latter being something he couldn't do with Hannibal. More than anything, there wouldn't be a constant chess game in their conversation, just normalcy. "I'll let you get back to work, Luke. See you soon." He looked at him once more and then headed out, putting his glasses back on as he did.

The hours crept by too slowly for Lucas; he kept watching the clock, wanting his shift to end, but time seemed to pass like molasses. Finally, it was four, and he clocked out, gathered his lunch box, and began the drive home.

Once there, he made quick work of tidying things up as best he could. The place was very much a “bachelor pad” - messy, disorganized, empty plates and utensils strewn about. He’d been so depressed lately, falling into his old patterns of neglect. He rushed around, eyeing the clock yet again and listening for when Will might knock. He was nervous, very nervous, and wanted to make a good impression on the young man. Stopping to look in the mirror a moment, he realized his shirt and jeans were a bit rumpled from the work day, and he quickly changed into a clean shirt, opting for a blue plaid flannel and brown twill slacks. Not fancy, but at least clean.

Lucas was in the kitchen putting together a plate of meats and cheeses, when he heard a knock on the door.

Will had gone home, and mostly just sat out on deck, watching the leaves blow through the trees. He cleaned up a bit as well, swept, and changed into yet another flannel, but this one was green. Once it was time, he locked up and got into his truck, heading over to Lucas'. Now at the Dane's door step, he waited for him to answer, glasses at home, and a bottle of whiskey in hand. A gesture more than anything, since they were going to have coffee.

Lucas opened the door with a big smile. “Welcome, hello, Will. Hi, come in,” he said eagerly, gesturing him inside. “Ah, you brought a little something for the coffee? Very nice!”

Will smiled back, his head tilted a little. "Luke, hello," he greeted and walked inside. "Yeah I thought we could put a dent in this; if anything I owed you something after drinking your beer the other day." He looked around the place, taking in the decor, getting more of a feel for him in his own place. It felt lonely, much like his house, but clean, very warm, and cozy. His blue eyes flitted back to Lucas and he took in his appearance. He had a fleeting thought, one he wouldn’t express and then pushed it down, offering his new potential friend the bottle. “Nice place.”

Lucas blushed and ducked his head, taking the bottle and leading Will into the kitchen where a fresh pot of coffee was brewing. “It’s peaceful, it’s small, but I like it. No one bothers me out here. I usually keep to myself, but I-I’m comfortable with you. It was nice, our conversation the other day. As I said, I don’t have many friends, myself. Well, any, actually,” he responded a bit awkwardly.

Will's fingers trailed along the counter as they talked. "I feel the same about my place. Peaceful, quiet." He allowed himself to look up into Lucas' eyes at the last part of his confession, taking in a subtle breath. "I don't either, and I...I feel comfortable around you too." He was just as awkward, his words coming out slowly, his Louisiana drawl a bit more apparent.

The Dane felt a warmth spread in his belly as he heard Will’s accent, but more importantly, at his words. “You do? I’m - I’m glad you do. I had, truthfully, hoped we could be friends. When you left, I was afraid perhaps I’d missed the opportunity.”

Will nodded, still occasionally having to remind himself that this wasn't Hannibal he was talking to, this man was Lucas. Luckily, that was passing quickly, and even the need to see Hannibal was starting to subside. "I'd like that, Luke," he said, looking at the Dane. "The reason I left...that's a long story, for another time maybe, but it wasn't you, not at all."

The coffee had completed its percolation, and Lucas poured the steaming liquid into two mugs, leaving some space for a splash of whiskey. He took the mugs and nodded to the small platter of food and bottle and motioned his head towards the living room for Will to follow. “I know about long stories. No need to apologize; I’m just glad you’re here now,” he said, setting the mugs on a wooden coffee table that sat in front of a small loveseat, two armchairs flanking either side.

Will followed Lucas into the living room and sat the bottle and the platter down on the table, bending at the waist. He snagged a piece of cheese and popped into his mouth, adding whiskey to his mug before sitting on the loveseat. It left Lucas the choice of how far or close he wanted to sit to him. He was glad to be in Lucas' company too. "Sounds like we both have a lot of material to work with," he chuckled, handing the Dane the whiskey so he could add his own if he wanted. "Thanks for this, it's good."

Lucas took one of the armchairs, leaning forward to add some whiskey to his own coffee. He’d caught himself staring as Will bent over for the food, his prominent cheekbones flushing a little at the sight. He furrowed his brow and shook his head, looking away quickly. “It’s just nice to have someone to share some food with. So have you done any fishing since the other day, Will?” he asked, wanting to keep the banter light, for as long as possible. No need to spill all his sob stories.

Will sipped his beverage, his hands curling around the mug, legs spread leisurely. "No, not yet, but I plan to. Probably tomorrow," he commented, canting his head over at Lucas, a few curls spilling into his eyes. "What about you, Luke? Anymore hunts?" He clenched his jaw just momentarily, pushing back another fleeting thought of Abigail, Hannibal and twisted his lips into a smile instead. He was happy talking to Lucas; he wouldn't bombard him with the darkness that lingered in his mind.

Lucas’ eyes fell on Will’s red lips and he found himself blushing yet again. He took a healthy swig from his coffee. “I'm off tomorrow, actually. Planned on hunting again then. Probably head out before light,” he said, long fingers scooping up a piece of the sausage he'd set out.

Will noticed the look, and the blush, finding himself doing the same, all the way to the tips of his ears. He cleared his throat and leaned forward to get some sausage as well, popping it into is mouth and chewing appreciatively. After he'd swallowed, he leaned back with a little comfortable groan, taking a sip of his spiked coffee. A brow was arched towards Lucas, a silent invitation more than anything. "I was planning on heading out around the same time."

Lucas brightened. “Perhaps we could go together, make a day of it. I'd like to try fishing again. You could borrow a rifle if you'd like to try hunting. We could teach each other,” he suggested. He watched the way Will ate the salty meat, his lips glistening with oil, the little sounds he made, and he shifted in his chair. He took another sip of coffee, the alcohol beginning to relax him a bit more.

Will grinned and nodded, licking the oil from his lips. "Sure, sounds like we could learn from each other," he smiled and grabbed the whiskey bottle, adding more to the mug since it was halfway down. He extended his hand, offering Lucas the whiskey, with a look that could be confused as coy. He too was feeling the effects of the alcohol, more so given this was the first thing he'd eaten all day.

The Dane met Will’s eyes, the arched eyebrow and little smile, and he felt his cheekbones heat all over. _Why do I feel nervous around him? He’s friendly and kind,_ he wondered to himself. He poured the liquor heavily into his coffee mug, at least two fingers worth, and set the bottle back down. “Have you ever hunted before, Will?” he asked innocently.

Will _had_ hunted, in a sense, but he couldn't say that. "Not really," he answered, taking a big swig of his drink, relishing the burn down his throat. He shifted his jaw a bit in contemplation, before setting the mug down and stretching his arms on the back of the couch. "So do you have any siblings, Luke?"

Lucas shook his head. “No. I had friends that were like brothers back home, but no other family. Just my son, Marcus. He’s a lad in college, at university in London,” he said, brightening as he thought of his boy with pride. “Do you have a family, Will?” he asked, golden eyes flickering over the young man’s face as he ate a piece of cheese.

Will nodded, his head canted towards Lucas. "No, no children," he began, then suddenly.. _.I gave you a child, if you recall_ , and then _you’re family, Will,_ popped into his mind, Hannibal being the one who told him both things. He shook it off, lolling his head back against the couch, making it look like he was more reminiscing peacefully than anything else. "No siblings, mother died when I was young. Father and I, well our relation was spotty at best," he lifted his head, smiling over at Lucas, not wanting to give a hint to the quiet and ever churning sea of chaos in his mind. "Marcus ever hunt with you?"

“Ah, yes. It gave me great joy to teach him. He’s a good shot, too. I miss hunting with him.” Lucas swept his eyes over the long column of the younger man’s neck, his breath catching slightly at the sight. He tried not to look too long, but realized belatedly he was, in fact, staring. “It’ll be nice to have a … someone with me for a change.”

Will could sense _something_ in Lucas, as he was looked at like that, which caused him to to sit up a bit, his lashes fluttering slightly as a blush crept over his features. He tried to mask it by rubbing his scruff. "It should be a good outing," he agreed, leaning to get his drink again. The smaller of the two finished it off with a couple of swigs and make a pleased sound, quietly. "I used to fish with my dad when I was younger, but apart from that it's been just me. Might make a fisherman out of you though."

“Yeah, I think you might,” Lucas chuckled. “Haven’t been out, like I said, since I was a kid. Got a pole I can borrow?” he asked, blinking innocently and grinning before finishing his coffee and reaching for the bottle again.

Will was certainly becoming a bit more than buzzed now, which was evident by the chuckle at the innocent entendre. Again, he covered it, by coughing this time. "Sure, I can fix you up, s'long as you pass me some more of that whiskey, Luke."

A warm smile broke over the older man’s face, crinkling the corners of his honey eyes behind the glasses. “Perhaps one more, but if we are to get up early, this might have to do it. Don’t want to be hung over, eh?” he said, offering Will the bottle once more. The rough pads of his fingers brushed across Will’s knuckles again, and yet again, a stronger, flushed heat spread down his body.

Will did love his whiskey, but Lucas was right. "Good point," he grinned, and took the bottle, sucking his lower lip through his teeth with a breath when he felt the contact. He saw the dark flush on the other man's face, the look in his eye, and had to force himself not to feel him out.

“When we return from our expedition, we should cook up some dinner together, you think you’d be okay with that?” Lucas asked, hoping Will would agree.

"Dinner? That sounds good, though the only thing I can really cook is fish," Will admitted, pouring two more fingers worth of the dark fluid into his mug and setting the bottle down.

“I love fish. Besides even if we get a buck, dressing and preparing venison will take far too long, and I’m sure we’ll be hungry and tired by then. Fish is practical. Gut them and grill them, right?” he laughed easily. Lucas sighed, happy to feel relaxed for the first time in forever, enjoying the company. There was an odd tension between them he hadn’t anticipated and didn’t understand, but he’d ponder on that later.

"That's how you do it," Will agreed, taking a pull from his mug, licking his lips to get the residual off. Lucas seemed happy, which made the ex-agent happy. It had been a while for him too, in a lot of ways really, but some of those things he couldn't think about now. "You seem like a good guy, I'm glad I took you up on your offer, Luke." Will was a bit tipsy, not drunk, but enough to make him have a looser tongue than usual.

A small pang went through him at Will’s words….’a good guy’. It meant a great deal to him to hear that, though Will didn’t know his story, not yet, and he couldn’t think far enough in advance to wonder if a decent man like Will would believe him. The thought was pushed away quickly though as he leaned forward and peered into his face, the alcohol dissolving his shyness a bit as well. “I’m glad you did too, Will. I think we could be very good friends. I like you,” he blurted out a bit sloppily. Lucas could hold his liquor well, and wasn’t by any means drunk, however he felt it important in the moment to say the words.

The closer proximity, the words Lucas said, all of it sent Will's heart racing. His eyes took on a more glazed look, his pupils a bit larger. He hoped Lucas would think it was just from the whiskey. Will wanted to return the gesture though, so he clasped a hand onto Lucas' shoulder and gave it a friendly squeeze. "I...I like you too, Luke. I think we certainly could become very close friends." The words were said with an arched brow and a charming smile, again one that could be looked at from different ends, perception being that sort of tool.

The way Will was looking at him, the man could swear he was flirting, and he felt suddenly quite shy. He nervously took off his glasses to clean them, hoping his face only _felt_ warm and he wasn’t actually blushing. “We could, I think. Well, we are neighbors now, after all,” Lucas added, more like he was convincing himself this was natural and friendly, and nothing more. Will’s hand on his shoulder sent a small shiver down his back that he hoped the young man didn’t notice.

Lucas was so confused. He’d never been attracted to men before, but he was astute enough to recognize this as attraction. Maybe he’d just become so lonely that he’d forgotten how to act. He had been isolated a long time, he reasoned. He took another drink from his mug and passed it off, trying to act as easy going as he could.

"True, that we are," Will smiled with a sigh, mostly to try to release some of the tension he was feeling in the room. It wasn't _bad_ tension, per say, but he was sure Lucas was likely straight. Still, there seemed to be something more than simple friendship blossoming between them.

Will had never acted on things with a man either, but he'd certainly been attracted to Hannibal and things would have lead _there_ , if he hadn't pulled them off the cliff--that or if he hadn't be left out on that sandy shore. Either way, he had noticed the shiver from Lucas, and saw how he was a bit uncomfortable, or confused at best. He didn't want that so he wanted to offer him some space to think. "Well, Luke, I should probably get going, I, uh, I'm sure you have things to do? This has been great though, thank you for the coffee, food and conversation."

The Dane nodded in agreement. Truth be told, he needed a bit of air himself, time to clear his head and think about things. “Of course. Hopefully the beginning of many more nights like this.”

Will stood up, swallowing the last of his whiskey with a hum, setting it down on the table as he passed to follow Lucas to the door. He looked over the other man, observing his body language before speaking. "I think it will, definitely," he pulled out his phone from his flannel shirt pocket and looked back into Lucas' eyes.

Lucas put his glasses back on, rising and strolling towards the door to see Will out. “Would you like to meet here then, first thing? I usually head out before light, say, four? I’ll bring the coffee,” he said, shoving his hands in his pockets and watching Will.

"Sure, sounds good. But, let me get your number, in case you need to change the time or anything for tomorrow,” Will replied.

“Good idea,” Lucas replied, brightening for the second time that night, and pulled out his cell phone. He recited his number and punched Will’s into his address book.

"Alright, well, Luke, I'll see you in the morning," Will said, giving him one last look and a big smile before walking out the door and heading to his truck. He had some thinking to do himself.

Lucas sagged against the door, unsure what to make of these strange feelings. He thought again how he’d never been attracted to men before, and wiped a hand over his face, stripping down as he made his way to the bathroom to take a shower. A cold shower. Maybe it was the whiskey, though he hadn’t had that much.

The frigid water helped clear his head, and he pulled on a clean pair of boxers and crawled into bed, setting the alarm on his phone and shutting off the light.

His dreams were filled with Will’s face, unnervingly so, his heart pounding inexplicably. The handsome young man’s arresting eyes, blue as a roiling ocean, seemed to stare into his soul, his wet, red lips curling into a smile, eyebrow arched suggestively just as he had in front of him. Lucas stirred awake to a throbbing ache between his legs; he was erect, painfully so, and he reached down to push his cock down as it tented his shorts. He was confused and alarmed, tossing and turning, unable to fall back asleep. He finally relented, throwing off his sheets and taking himself in a rough palm, stroking quickly. His breath came in shallow pants as he slid over the silky, hard flesh, his head thrown back. Behind his closed eyes, all he could see was Will...his dark curls, flushed cheeks, and gorgeous eyes hiding behind the glasses. When he’d removed them, Lucas nearly became dizzy at the sight. He tried hard to think about a woman, sexy and soft and curvaceous, but each time he’d conjure a different one, there was Will, intersecting and superimposing over his fantasy. Spilling over his belly, he came with a groan, and finally was able to turn over and find rest again.

After getting back home, Will sat his glasses on the counter and kicked off his boots, taking a shaky breath. He was clearly very affected by Lucas. The brunet had initially been drawn to him, just based on his likeness to Hannibal, but that was no longer the reason. Lucas was the total opposite of the cannibal, so much so that the only thing they had in common was their appearance. The Dane was warm, friendly, yet also sad and lonely, he was an outdoorsman like Will and loved dogs. He and Lucas shared a lot in common. It was refreshing, and for the first time in what seemed like forever, the ex-agent was finding himself happier than he'd been.

Will laid down on his bed, staring up at the ceiling, the whiskey surging through his veins. His thoughts kept going back to the looks they'd shared, and the spark he had felt when Lucas' hand had touched his own. He became very aware of the fact that his cock was _painfully_ hard. So much so that he chuckled to himself, shaking his head. He got up long enough to strip down to his boxers and white t-shirt, and climbed under the covers, allowing his mind to wander, after that. Right back to Luke it went.

How would things have gone, if Will had leaned forward a bit further and dared to press their hot lips together? These were the questions he was asking himself as he contemplated. He made a decision then, that _if_ and when Lucas seemed ready, if it was reciprocal, he wasn't going to push it back or away. He'd done that with Hannibal, after all and look how that had ended.

As such, Will pulled his boxers down, freeing his cock, and wrapped a calloused hand around it, at the base, giving it a few tight pulls. Instantly, his back arched off of the bed, his lips parting, pink tongue sweeping over them. He wanted to enjoy this, so he moved his hand long enough to pull the lube off the nightstand and slather his palm. Right back to his cock he went, gliding up and down, twisting somewhat roughly. His thoughts were a mix of possible scenarios that might have happened in Lucas' living room and what could occur later. He imagined the Danish man, kissing him back onto the couch, both men desperately clinging and pulling at each other's flannel shirts, escalating from there. It was enough on its own to have the profiler panting, moaning, his chest heaving and balls tightening. His breath came out raggedly through flared nostrils, eyes squinted shut as he fisted his dick and played the images over and over, that vivid imagination coming in handy. "Fuck-" he hissed, hot sticky come spurting out over his knuckles at last, heart thudding in his chest.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: There's hunting in this chapter, as there is in _The Hunt_ , so keep that in mind.

Lucas woke to his phone vibrating on the night stand. Blearily, he swung his legs out of bed and stood to walk to the bathroom and get dressed. He dressed warmly, as it would be cold so early in the morning, and he knew layers were best in this part of the country at this time of year. 

He stood in the kitchen, making them some thermoses of coffee, and packed a couple sandwiches and some beer in a cooler for the outing. Finally, he grabbed two rifles and some ammunition, leaning them near the door, and looked at the clock waiting for Will to arrive. His heart beat a little faster, excited to see the young man and spend the day with him. It would be very interesting, especially in light of his dreams that night. He tried to push them out of his head; the last thing he wanted was to give Will the wrong impression or frighten him off.

Will arrived on time at Lucas' door, fishing gear in hand. He too, had put on a lot of layers, a beanie on his head to top it off. In his pocket he'd brought a silver flask of whiskey. 

He'd slept fair last night, good for him anyways, dreaming of a Lucas/Hannibal hybrid. It was a convoluted dream, consisting of fishing, sex and dining. In the end, Hannibal had split from Lucas and tried to kill him off. Will had awoken in a panic, sweating.

The younger man didn't allow himself to think about it anymore, now just excited to see Lucas again. He knocked on the door twice, and unknowingly held his breath in anticipation.

Lucas swung the door open wide, hefting a small cooler in one hand and the two rifles in the other, a small canvas backpack over his shoulder. “Good morning, Will!” the Dane greeted with a grin. “I’ve got coffees for us in the backpack, sandwiches and beers in the cooler. We’ll find a place to make a base and then begin,” he added.

"Coffee...right. Shit, thanks, Luke," Will laughed, grinning. "I forgot that, but I brought whiskey and the gear." He looked at the other man, his dream, and what he had done before bed, flashing behind his eyes for a moment and then nodded. "Sounds good."

Lucas closed the door behind him and headed out in front of Will. “Fish first, yes? Less to carry for now,” he said with a small smile, avoiding looking right into Will’s eyes. He still could not wash the vision of his dreams from his mind. He walked ahead, leading them to the stream he’d found Will in days earlier.

"That's what I was thinking," Will smiled, noticing the avoidance of eye contact, mostly because that was something he often did. As Lucas walked ahead, Will caught himself looking at his ass, but stopped himself. "Hope you got a good night's rest last night." Small talk wasn't really his strong point, but he was trying to distract himself from those thoughts.

“I think the whiskey threw me off a little. I didn’t sleep that well, but it’s ok. I think eventually I fell asleep,” he rambled nervously. Lucas wasn’t great at small talk either. They walked through the quiet woods, Lucas’ breath coming out in puffs of fog in the cold air. The sun wasn’t quite up yet, dawn still hovering over the horizon, casting their path in a blue light.

Will was at Lucas' side now, enjoying the serenity, despite the tension that was still hanging thickly in the air. "I don't sleep well often, he chuckled, nervously as well. "But last night wasn't too bad."

Finally they made it to the bank and Will sat down the gear, stretching his arms, his chest sticking out and flexing. "Beautiful morning though."

The Dane watched as Will stretched, muscles visible even beneath all the layers of clothes. This man was his friend, a new friend,  _ what’s wrong with me? _ he thought to himself frustratedly. “It is. This is my favorite time of day. No one but the birds awake, singing their sweet songs,” he said, hoping the pink that was undoubtedly coming over his tawny cheeks could be attributed to the weather.

Will looked at Lucas again, feeling a warmth spread through his body, heating him up even in the cold. He caught himself staring even more at the pink over the Dane’s skin and his lips. The brunet licked his own as he stared before realizing and then looking away, up into the trees. "Yeah, it is nice," he said, quietly. "I could use a cup of coffee first, how about you?" He arched a brow and took a deep breath, rubbing his gloved hands together, stepping closer to Lucas to get the thermos.

Lucas felt his heart thump against his ribs as Will approached him, and he heard  _ Coffee,  _ remembering himself quickly. He bent down and opened the backpack on the ground, pulling out two silver thermoses. He looked up, handing one to Will. “No whiskey this time, not just yet,” he chuckled, unscrewing the top to drink from his.

Taking the cup, he held it in his hands, pursing his lips to blow on it a little as he watched Lucas. "Too early for whiskey," Will agreed with a little toothy laugh. "Thank you. This is good, hits the spot," he said, once he'd taking a soothing sip. "Should be a lot of fish biting though, I think we'll have a good catch for dinner tonight."

The Dane found himself hypnotized watching Will’s full red lips purse to blow the steam, but looked away and nodded casually. “Here’s hoping they are. You’ll have to really help me. I haven’t fished since I was a kid.”

"Really? I couldn't go without it for long," Will admitted, taking another swig. "I'm sure you'll have a lot to teach me about hunting though. Looking forward to it." He needed to get a hold of himself, but in all honesty, Lucas was bringing about a lot of feelings.

“Oh yes, it will be great fun teaching someone to hunt again.” The Dane sat on the cooler and picked up one of the rods Will had brought. “What do you use for lures, Will?” he asked, eyeing the small tackle box Will had carried.

"I make my own," Will said, watching Lucas look at his lures. "String them in my cabin with the feathers, it helps pass the time when I'm not working or fishing. Used to work on boat engines back home." The younger man then thought that  _ this _ was home now, and he was oddly happy with that notion, especially since meeting Lucas.

“Boat engines, eh? So in Maryland, you did that work there?” he asked, wanting to know more and more about Will. Everything, in fact.

"It was more...a hobby," Will explained, finishing off his coffee and handing Lucas the little cup. "I worked as a criminal profiler for the FBI, and as a professor before that, once I’d moved there from New Orleans," he finished, wondering what the Dane would think if he knew _ all  _ about his past...that he'd killed before, and enjoyed it.

Lucas looked at his hands, wanting to tell Will more about himself, but how could he explain what happened if he mentioned he, too, had been a teacher? He couldn’t bring himself to it, not yet. For now he thought it best to simply talk about Will, not himself. “Hell, the FBI? That’s big time, wow. Why aren’t you doing that now? Seems it would make good money, no?”

Will let out a shaky breath, luckily it was cold out so that would have been a viable explanation for such a thing. Instead he gave the other a small smile. "The money was alright, don't really need much anyways, s'long as my dogs were fed." He clasped his gloved hands together and leaned forward a bit, sitting on a log that was on the bank, across from Lucas. "Just stopped being something I could do, profiling those killers, I saw too much." He didn't go deeper than that, maybe later. “So what else apart from hunting, did you do in Denmark?”

“I...uhhh,” he started. “Well, I was a teacher too. Used to be. It was good,” he finally said, exhaling heavily.  He took another sip from his coffee, looking out at the mist over the river.

_ Used to be _ , Will thought there might be a story behind that, but he didn't push. He merely nodded. "New lives for us both," he said, smiling a bit bigger. After that, he stood up and grabbed his pole. "I'm ready if you are."

Lucas was glad for the break in conversation; this young man seemed so eerily perceptive, and it brought him a feeling of comfort. “Ready, yes,” he said, setting down his coffee and walking to the river, looking back at Will with a smile.

Will was right behind him, looking at the water, and getting his rod ready. He happened to look up just in time to see that warm smile, and he found himself dipping his head a little, smiling in return. Once he was at Lucas’ side, he pulled out some bait for both of them. "My dad used made a bet with me, that whoever caught the biggest fish, didn't have to clean it when they got back home..." A tidbit about himself, something he was comfortable sharing, and more than that, it was lighthearted in nature, which he thought they could both use.

Lucas grinned and took the lure from Will, getting his own rod ready by attaching the fly as he closely watched Will to duplicate his actions. “I’d expect I’ll likely be the one cleaning the fish tonight, then,” he replied. Once baited, the older man set his pole down and tugged on the extra pair of waders Will had so thoughtfully brought, pulling the rubber up over his thighs. He felt a little ridiculous, chuckling at himself.

“Maybe I'll let you off the hook,” Will grinned, looking at Lucas in the waders. “They take some getting used to.” With both of their poles ready, Will started to guide them out into the water, scanning the area for the perfect spot. Finally he found one and gave a nod. “This looks like a good place to drop our lines.”

Lucas followed Will and nodded, discreetly admiring how thick Will’s thighs looked in the boots. He couldn’t stop to give it more thought as to why he was so turned on by the sight, and the idea crossed his mind that perhaps he really was attracted to men as well as women. He licked his lips and let his gaze linger on the young man’s well-shaped backside.

The Dane watched as Will cast his line out, wanting to mimic the maneuver but appearing uncertain. “Not sure I can do that,” he laughed nervously.

Will smiled at that and got behind Lucas, a bit awkwardly. "You can, it’s all in the wrist. I-uh, here I'll show you," he began and hook an arm around the older man, placing his hand atop his for a minute. It was more contact than they'd had really, but he told himself it was to teach, he was a teacher, so it was okay. "Before you cast, name your bait on your hook, after somebody you cherished, if the person you named it after cherished you, you'll catch the fish...or that's how the superstition goes." His words were sweet, his breath near Lucas' ear.

Lucas felt a tightening in his chest and a nervousness in his belly as Will stood so close to him, all but pressed up behind him, their hands touching. The younger man’s breath felt hot on his ear, and he tried very hard to focus on Will’s instruction. He hoped Will couldn’t feel him tremble slightly, couldn’t detect his shallow respiration. As he obeyed the directions offered, the only name he could even think of was  _ Will’s _ .  _ How silly, come on, Lucas, _ he thought to himself, and yet there it was. “Well, alright, I think I’m good,” he said, exhaling a bit heavier than he meant to and sounding breathless in the process.

The younger man moved his hand, but his fingers skated over Lucas' arm as he pulled away. It easily could have been an accident from the close proximity, and yet he had noticed the shift in the Dane. Will was also very aware of the half erection he had under his waders, and was so thankful they were thick enough to hide it. Clearing his throat, he took a deep breath, sighing out a little shakily. "Okay, Luke, it's all yours, cast it out and see what you get," he said, walking next to him to watch him cast, water splashing around them. Oddly enough, the name for his bait was  _ Lucas _ …

Lucas gripped the rod tightly, not daring to look at the blue-eyed brunet after the discussion of naming the lure. He did his best to loosen his grasp and mirror Will’s motions. Finally he met Will’s gaze and smiled nervously.  “This is so peaceful, so nice. You’re right, Will.”

Will smiled at Lucas, swallowing and nodded, shifting his jaw. "Nothing better than wading into the quiet of the stream," he all but whispered, again he cleared his throat and spoke in a more natural tone. "You're doing good, a natural fisherman." He pulled his line a bit, out of the water and then flicked his wrist once more, flawlessly.

They stood in the stream, the only sounds in the air the quiet trickling of the water, birds calling to each other in the quiet stillness of daybreak, and soon the golden rays of the sun were peeking over the horizon. Lost in the stillness of his reverie, Lucas was startled when he felt tugging on his line. “Will, Will?” he whispered anxiously. “I think I have something, something’s pulling on it…”

Will grinned, proudly, and moved closer to Lucas again, having been lost in his memory palace. "Reel it in, slowly, looks like you caught a big one from how your rod is bending," he remarked, softly, his other hand holding his pole, nothing caught yet.

Lucas did as he said, drawing in the line steadily, and after a few seconds, it was clear something was pulling wildly on the line. As he pulled, a large trout was flapping and thrashing, breaking the surface of the water and splashing the Dane.  

"A large one. Good job, Luke," Will said, smiling and patting his back as he looked at the fish. Whoever it was that Lucas cherished certainly felt the same way, at least according to the superstition. "I may be cleaning the fish tonight, if I don't catch something soon,” he chuckled. “C’mon, let's put your catch in the cooler and then recast."

Lucas beamed under Will’s praise. “Probably beginner’s luck, I'm sure,” he laughed.

He watched as Will removed the hook from the fish, pulling a small wooden club from his pocket and squatting down on a rock, delivering a couple sharp blows to it’s head. As it stilled, he threw it in a ice bucket and offered the lure back to Lucas to reapply to his line.

"Don't sell yourself short," Will grinned, stretching his back, watching Lucas with the lure. "I saw how you handled the pole, you're better than when I first started." Of course Will had been just a boy but he really did think Lucas was doing great. He’d caught a large trout on his first try and seemed fairly confident in what he’d done so far.

Lucas felt much better about the day, knowing he’d caught at least one fish already. He cast his line by himself, not quite getting it the first couple of times but finally flicking his wrist just like Will had shown him, holding the other end of the line between his fingers. “Thank you, Will. I’m enjoying this a lot,” he said, unable to wipe the smile off his face. It was pure, real joy, and he’d almost forgotten how good it felt to try something new, relaxing and enjoying himself so much with his new friend.

Will had felt Lucas' sorrow, felt that he was hiding something just like he was, but right now the happiness washed over him, much like the water was, and it felt, pure, cleansing somehow. "Don't mention it," he smiled, casting out his line, feeling that same sense of elation. "I am too, I am enjoying the company." He blushed a little after saying that, his ears turning red.

The Dane noticed the pink warmth wash over the apples of Will’s cheeks. It made him look younger just then, and the tension and seriousness the young man seemed to carry with him often lightened. “I didn’t ask you, what do you teach, Will?”

"I taught forensics at the FBI academy," Will answered, just as his line started to pull. "Got something," he smiled, and little by little reeled it out of the water, revealing an impressive fish, right about the same size as the one Lucas had caught. "Looks like we are at a stalemate, Luke."

Lucas laughed jovially and winked at Will. “I guess I need to up my game to keep pace with you, eh?” he remarked, thinking of his lure that he’d named after the handsome young man.

The look in Will's eyes took on a slightly coy appearance at that wink, his lips twisting into a crooked smile. "Yeah?” he chuckled, nudging the Dane with his shoulder. "I warn you though...I'm a good fisherman, Luke. I always catch what I am after."

Lucas swallowed hard at Will’s words, taking them with a double meaning, though surely the young man didn’t intend them that way. “Duly noted. I'm sure you do, Will,” he replied, enjoying the brief contact with his shoulder. Solid, hard even through all the layers between them. He looked down shyly, training his attention on his rod carefully.

At Lucas’ shy reaction, Will chided himself inwardly and quickly covered. “Caught a lot of fish, a lot of bad guys,” he explained with a smile, though he  _ had  _ meant it the way Lucas had taken it. He sloshed through the shallow water with his fish in hand to kill and stow it in the cooler. Once he'd done that, he rejoined the Dane, preparing his line anew and recasting. He’d also enjoyed the brief contact, and thought of it while they fished, silently.

The morning wore on, Lucas catching one more, a huge trout, but Will besting him with another two fish himself. The men made their way to shore mid-morning, deciding to stop and eat before commencing a hunt for game. Will took tugged off his waders, and cleaned up, splashing a bit of the water on his face.

Lucas pulled off the waders and washed his hands off in the clear water. He began unpacking their lunch, pulling out two beers and the sandwiches he'd made, and handing one to Will.

"Thanks," Will sighed contentedly, and took the offered sandwich and beer. He sat down on the log where he'd been resting before, and peeled the wrapper back, taking a big bite. "Looks like you'll be cleaning the fish tonight." A grin played over his face, his tone relaxed and friendly.

“Well done, Will. I don't mind trying my hand at it, but sad to say you'll have to show me how,” he replied, taking a big bite of his sandwich and wiping a drop of mayonnaise from the corner of his lips.

“Thanks.” Will had found himself looking at the mayonnaise, the white creamy substance there...with his imagination he couldn't help but think of  _ other _ things. He shook that thought quickly, swallowing thickly and nodded. "I don't mind at all, not much to it though. I'm sure you'll learn quickly, you've proven that this morning already." He finished his praise with a long swig of beer, his Adam's apple bobbing under taut skin.

Lucas stared without meaning to at Will’s long, beautiful throat, the way it looked when he swallowed slowly like that, and shifted his seat on the log, trying to ignore the hammering in his chest and how temptingly obscene the sight was. “I like to think I'm a quick study,” he said, wrapping his full lips around the neck of his beer and drinking.

Will took another bite of his sandwich with a hum, his eyes trailing down to those deliciously full lips of Lucas’ as they’d wrapped around the bottle.  _ Shit _ , he thought to himself, feeling his cock throb. He was growing hard, his pants tightening, only this time, there were no thick waders to hide it. The ex-agent did the best he could, opting to cross one leg over the other and away from Lucas. "You are. I've been... _ impressed, _ so far."

“I have a good teacher. I imagine you’re very good at your job, based on what I've seen so far,” he responded warmly. The man thought Will’s gaze lingered longer than any of his male friends ever did; he could swear the handsome young man was looking at him almost longingly. He shook his head as if trying to silently convince himself it wasn't possible. Lucas set his sandwich in his lap and pulled off his glasses to clean them with his sleeve.

"I'm sure you'll be a good teacher too. I just hope that I will pick up hunting as quickly," Will mused, looking down at his sandwich when he saw Lucas shaking his head. He could feel the confusion radiating through the air, which made him wonder if that emotion was Lucas' or his own...maybe both, but either way he was feeling too much. To distract himself, he took a couple more gulps of his beer, looking over at the Dane just in time to catch a glimpse of his eyes without the glasses. It did little to help with his hardening cock and a calloused hand rubbed over his face, his throat making a click as he swallowed. "So what did you do for fun in Denmark, apart from hunting?"

“A lot of drinking, my buddies and I. In Fall we'd do this stupid silly game of skinny dipping in the freezing cold river. Grown men behaving like boys, but we got up to some fun. It's important not to lose that spark of playfulness and innocence and curiosity little ones have. People grow up too fast, you know?” Lucas fought back a wave of sadness at the memory, horseplay with his smallest students at school. That joy had been torn from him and tainted under the specter of all those horrific accusations.

Will licked his lips, without meaning to, the thought of Lucas nude flashing before his eyes. He was half tempted to suggest they do the same, sometime, but that wasn't really his style. Beyond that it would certainly be inappropriate, so instead he focused on the words he'd said, mentioning the playfulness and innocence of children. "True, though I've never done that," he laughed, his jaw shifting as he finished off his sandwich and followed it with another swallow of beer. "I am not  _ unfamiliar _ with icy water though." Just as Lucas had thought back to sadder times, Will thought of his dip in the cold rolling Atlantic, which was not pleasant to say the least. "So what age were your students, Luke?"

“Little. About five to ten, most of them. Good, sweet little rascals,” he replied, unable to hide the sadness as he recalled. He quickly drained the rest of his beer and looked back towards the forest, eager to change the subject. “We should get a move on, shouldn't we?” he suggested. Lucas kicked himself for being so abrupt, but he didn't want to talk about his past more, not yet. No sense ruining things already.

With his erection now gone, and after noting the sadness in Lucas' tone, Will nodded. "Right, we should, of course," he said, looking down at beer and then up to the other man, his eyes apologetic. He finished the rest of what was in his bottle and then stood up, grabbing his pack and slinging it over his shoulder. "We can leave the fishing gear and cooler here, get it once we're done. C'mon." He offered the bigger man a smile, his hands in his pockets, not planning on inquiring further.

Lucas smiled, relieved at how perceptive Will seemed to be. He handed one of the rifles to Will and led him into the woods. He looked at Will’s feet, speaking in a hushed tone. “I’ll show you how to walk quietly. We want to make as little noise as possible to not spook any game nearby.” He stopped Will, placing a hand on the center of his chest. “Walk on dirt or grass where you can, avoid the twigs and leaves as best you can, and we move slowly. Heel to toe, bend at the knees,” Lucas said, showing Will what he meant by moving silently. “One more thing,” he said, pulling a small bottle out from inside his jacket. He sprayed a small amount of the contents on himself. It wasn’t a pleasant scent - smelled of urine. “Doe estrous. It tamps down our human scent and draws bucks in,” he said, offering the spray to Will with an apologetic smile.

At Lucas' hand on Will's chest, he flushed hot, ever so subtly pressing into it. It happened without his notice but he quickly corrected himself. As he listened, he nodded, the sound of the Dane's voice actually calming him. "Okay," he'd finally said, watching as he was shown how to walk, his eyes glued to Lucas' ass. Will took the bottle and sprayed himself, wrinkling his nose a little and silently chuckling. "It's fine, hopefully we'll catch something. I think I'm ready." The younger man patted the older man’s bicep, giving it a friendly squeeze, briefly, and let go. It had been done to reciprocate the touch he’d received, but he had to admit, it felt very nice.

Will’s hand on his arm made that old familiar heat flush over the curve of his cheekbones, his eyes meeting the younger man's, holding his stare a bit longer than he meant. He nodded and continued walking softly, leading Will through the woods.

A rustle could be heard, just beyond a thicket of dense brush, and the Dane turned towards Will, one finger pressed to his lips in a “hush” gesture. He pointed, and there stood a beautiful, sleek young buck, sunlight glinting off his mottled chestnut fur. Lucas silently stepped closer to Will, bringing his lips next to the younger man's ear. “Quick and quiet, Will, aim as I am, for his head,” he mouthed, and stepped away, widening his stance. Lucas brought his rifle up, holding it firm against his shoulder, nodding for Will to mimic his motion.

Will shuddered, quietly and discreetly at Lucas' lips and breath so close to ear. He truly hoped the Dane hadn't noticed. Shaking his head in acknowledgement, the brunet brought his rifle up; blue eyes looking through the scope at the beautiful buck. He felt a momentary sadness for the animal, but knew that it would be honored, and consumed. With a quiet breath, Will put his finger on the trigger, preparing to squeeze but waiting for Lucas to lead.

Lucas trained his weapon on the animal’s head, between his eyes, and nodded to Will. He wanted to be ready, should Will miss, or the deer be spooked. “Do it,” he whispered, finger in the trigger should he need to intervene. He didn't want the deer to suffer, wanted it to be a merciful death.

A shot rung out, the birds scattering from the trees, as Will pulled the trigger. He wanted the same thing for the deer, a merciful death. His hands were shaking just slightly as he lowered his rifle, not sure if he'd gotten him or not. "It's...been awhile since I've killed something," he managed, having flashbacks from Garret Jacob Hobbs.

The deer collapsed as the bullet penetrated its skull, and Lucas made his way cautiously towards the animal, rifle aimed and ready, should he not yet be dead. As he approached, a pool of crimson surrounded the animal’s head, life gone from his eyes. Lucas turned to look at Will in wonder. “Perfect shot, your first time? Amazing,” he finished, shouldering his gun and pulled the buck by his small horns.

Will walked with him, shouldering his gun as well once he'd put the safety on, and looked at the deer, the blood not an unfamiliar sight at all. "Thanks. Yeah, I've never killed a deer before," he said, nervously, his tone a bit quieter as he rubbed his scruff. "I am familiar with guns though, from when I worked as a profiler, had to know how to shoot."

Lucas nodded, squatting to pick up the animal. “Help me get him on my back, ok?” he asked. It was thankfully a young buck; he’d never manage if it were a full grown stag. “We’ll go get the fishing gear and head back to the cabin.”

"Sure," Will answered and stepped closer to the Dane. "Sounds good." With a grunt, he helped maneuver the young deer on Lucas' back, his groin accidentally bumping his ass as he did. "Fuck, sorry man." It had been an accident, but even still, he felt his heart thrumming in his chest.

Lucas swallowed thickly as he felt the contact, chuckling to try and diffuse the tension, though he didn’t know if it was more for Will or himself. “It’s okay. Thank you,” he said, straightening his back and hefting the animal on his broad shoulders. “Uhhh, shall we?” He asked, heading towards the shore line to retrieve the rest of their gear. Will nodded and was right behind him.

 


	3. Chapter 3

The walk back to the cabin was not as quiet, Lucas’ breath fogging the air in front of him as he carried the deer back. “Pretty hungry now,” he said quietly, looking over at Will, his glasses slipping down his nose a bit from his efforts. 

"Me too,  _ very _ hungry," Will said, meeting Lucas' gaze, his own breath fogging. "Could use some more of that whiskey, too, warm up while the fish is cooking." Those eyes, the way the older man's breath was coming out, all of it had Will's stomach feeling tight, a heat spreading there.

“Whiskey sounds about perfect right now,” Lucas huffed, sweat trickling down his neck and slipping beneath the collar of his shirt, dampening the fabric.

His cabin appeared in sight and Lucas carried the deer to the shed, securing rope he had thrown over a beam in the ceiling and lifting it to hang. “Go ahead and take the fish inside. I’m going to get this ready so it can drain,” he said, tossing his keys to Will. “I’ll be there in a moment.”

Will let his gaze linger on Lucas' neck, at the sweat and caught the keys...just barely. "Alright, Luke, I'll pour us a couple of whiskeys and set out the fish."

The smaller man unlocked the cabin and went in, leaving the poles outside, and taking the cooler in. After setting it on the counter, he shrugged off his coat, took off the beanie and gloves he wore and put the fish on the cutting board. Once that was done, he washed his hands, pouring two tumblers full of whiskey, leaning on the counter.

Lucas came in a short while later, pulling off his heavy boots, coat, and gloves and depositing everything by the door. He removed his outer shirt, leaving him in the thin white henley he’d worn under everything. It clung to his body from sweat, and he went straight to the kitchen sink, rolling up his sleeves to wash off his hands. “And now my second lesson begins, gutting a fish, eh?” he said, smirking playfully at Will and drying his hands to take a sip from the whiskey.

Will grinned at Lucas, eyeing him hungrily from over the rim of his glass, swallowing thickly and licking his lips after that. "The fun part, yeah." He sat down his tumbler with a little clink and unbuttoned the cuffs of his flannel, rolling them up to his elbows. His thick muscular forearms flexed, the long line of veins showcased prominently as he gestured in question. "I left my gutting knife in my tackle box, unless you have something in here?" God, the way Lucas looked, all sweaty...it had Will’s mind racing.

Lucas’ eyes took in the younger man’s thick biceps and forearms, and while such things had never seemed arousing to him ever before, on Will, it did. It really,  _ really  _ did. He took another swig of whiskey to steady himself, and opened a utensil drawer between them. “Filet knives in here, some others, see if you can find what you’re looking for. Help yourself,” he said, licking a few drops of whiskey from his lips.

"Looks like this'll do," Will said, his drawl thicker in that moment as he tried to pull his gaze away from Lucas’ lips, and that slick pink tongue. He pulled out the knife and got it near the fish. "Watch me first, then you can try on one of yours." First, he removed the slimy coating on the skin, and then deftly made an incision below the head, between the pectoral fins. Will explained to Lucas what he was doing as he went along, occasionally glancing up at him. Once that was done he reached inside and pulled out the guts, washing out the cavity to remove the remaining blood, which had gone all over the counter.  "Alright once that's done, we cut off the head and filet it," he smiled and before too long he was done, handing the knife to the Dane, fingertips brushing.

Lucas watched Will transfixed, his breath become shallow as he watched the younger man’s fingers, long and slender. It was erotic, the way he slid his hands over the fish, making it look so simple and easy, and as he spoke, the Dane found himself falling under the spell of his increasingly prominent accent. He could listen to Will talk for hours, he swore to himself silently. Lucas finally took the knife from Will’s slippery fingers, attempting to try it himself. He moved uncertainly. “Like this?” he asked, and as he did, the knife slipped and nicked his finger. Crimson spread down his hand quickly, though it was a small cut, the warmth of his hands and oil made it look worse than it was. 

“Shit. I’m fine, sorry,” he stammered, setting the knife down. 

"No need to be sorry," Will said, quickly taking Lucas' hand in his own, flicking on the faucet to put it under the stream. He got a really good look at just how thick his fingers were, which made him also realize he'd just taken it upon himself to hold his hand, and was continuing to do so. He was looked up at the older man through his lashes, and grinned, shaking his head with a laugh. "I--here, I'm sure you can do this on your own, I just- do you have any bandages? I'll go grab them, if you tell me where they are?"  _ Get it together _ , he thought to himself, also remembering when Hannibal had taken care of his wounds, after he killed Tier.

Lucas couldn’t dare confess how he loved the way Will held his hands, how his skin felt like fire. He blushed and nodded reluctantly letting Will retract. “The bathroom cabinet where the mirror is. Just down that hall, on the right,” he nodded towards the room and continued to rinse his hands under the cold water. He really needed to get ahold of himself before he embarrassed himself or scared off his wonderful new friend.

With a nod, Will went into the bathroom, looking at himself in the mirror for a second in an accusatory way. He splashed some water on his face, washed his hands and then grabbed the bandages and antiseptic.

"I brought this too, don't want that to get infected," Will said, holding it up. He wanted to offer to wrap it for him, seeing it could be tricky for Lucas to do it on his own, but he felt like he'd already come dangerously close to crossing a line.

Lucas dried his hand and took the bandages from Will. “Thank you. I’ll just put gloves on over this and give it another shot,” he laughed, carefully opening the bandage, though he fumbled awkwardly as the injury was to his dominant hand.  

"No problem." Will chuckled, watching. At the Dane's fumbling, he stepped closer, and held out his hand, palm up. "Do you, do you want me to help with that?" he offered, both brows raised curiously, his ears lifting as he did. He didn't want to  _ not  _ offer, and honestly, he was eager to touch him again, but in the end, it was Lucas' call.

The older man set the bandage down, admitting defeat. “I’m all thumbs today I guess. Do you mind?” he asked, warm amber eyes meeting deep blue ones.

"Not at all," Will smiled, his pupils dilating. He opening the bandages, and popped the top on the antiseptic cream, gently taking ahold of Lucas' hand again. "Might sting," he said, practically whispering. The younger man massaged the cream in softly, staring at his hand and then looked up to meet the older man's gaze, holding it there. With an audible click, his swallowed, and cleared his throat.

Lucas looked into Will’s eyes and felt himself very obviously clearing falling into them. He couldn’t think of any more exquisite eyes he’d ever seen, so clear, blue and breathtaking. He swallowed hard as well, his breath stopping for a moment as Will gently massaged the medicine into the small cut. It seemed very intimate, and Lucas blushed yet again, finally dropping his eyes to their hands. “It’s...i-it’s fine. Thanks, Will,” he whispered, looking over at the fish on the counter and fighting the awkwardness he felt surge up at how much he enjoyed the attention.

The way Lucas was responding, plus what Will was perceiving from him, told him that they were feeling similarly. The difference was, that Lucas seemed to be a bit more hesitant. At his words, Will snapped from his trance and quickly wrapped the bandage around his cut and let his hand go. "Yeah, um," he trailed off, rubbing the back of his neck, "It's, it's no problem. I guess we'd better finish this and get these cooking right?" Again, he washed his hands and promptly took up his whiskey, downing about half. 

Lucas nodded, a nagging feeling lingering in him that perhaps he shouldn’t have said or done something, but he shook it off and donned a pair of rubber gloves. “Take two,” he joked, trying to be more cautious this time and doing a better job. Still not as neat as Will’s had been, but he managed to pull the guts out and finish prepping his fish for the grill.

“I’m sure you are better with the cooking, so maybe I’ll just sit this out,” Lucas said with a self-deprecating laugh, and took a seat at the table with his whiskey. He needed a little space. His clothes, the air, the room, it all seemed too hot and suffocating at the moment.

"Sure, Luke, no problem," Will said, biting the inside of his mouth. He felt the same really, like he had crossed a line or done something wrong. Sighing to himself, he looked over at Lucas who was sitting alone. One one hand, he understood that, very much so, he often needed time like that. He half wondered if he should just leave, but he didn't  _ want  _ to. So instead, he started to cook the fish after seasoning them.

While the trout cooked, the profiler poured himself some more whiskey, frustrated, both sexually and in general. He waited a few minutes, flipped the fish and then leaned against the counter, exhaling through his nose. "I'm sorry if, um, well-- if you'd rather me go, I can leave you the fish. It’s been a long day and I’m sure you’re tired."

Lucas looked up sharply. “No, I-I-I don’t want you to leave, Will. I mean, if you’re tired and you need to….but not on my account. I hope you’re….not upset at anything I’ve done?” he asked, running a finger around the rim of his glass and taking off his glasses with a sigh.

"No, no, I don't want to go. I'm having a good time, I haven't had a friend in forever,  as I've mentioned," Will answered, looking at Lucas. He walked over to the table , sitting down in the chair across from the bigger man, since he'd given him some space. "You've done nothing wrong, I was ironically thinking maybe I'd done something," he chuckled quietly, laughing at himself, at the situation really. "S'long as you want me here, I'd like to stay."

Lucas looked back up at Will again, smiling warmly. “Never had anyone over here since I moved to the states. Keep to myself so much, I forgot what it’s like to have a friend. I-I guess I’m a little rusty at the whole socializing thing,” he said. He found the way Will spoke, his accent dripped like honey down his spine. He had to try and find a way to be more relaxed and no so wound up over the handsome young man.

"I usually try to avoid things that require me to be sociable," Will admitted, leaning back in the chair, watching Lucas with an equally warm smile. "So we're on the same page then, just two rusty outdoorsmen trying to remember how to have a friend." Will chuckled, glancing at Lucas, swirling his whiskey before taking another long pull. He set his glass down and got up to check on the fish. Truthfully, he wanted to tell Lucas it was okay to feel what he was feeling, even tell himself that but maybe he shouldn't keep thinking that way when his new friend was so uncomfortable. "Won't be too much longer."

“You’re very easy to get along with, Will. I think we have a lot in common, maybe more than we’ve discussed thus far. I hope I don’t seem too cagey. I’ve been through a lot of shit that’s hard to let go of. Hard to escape bad memories sometimes, you know?” Lucas explained.

Will looked back over his shoulder at Lucas, and nodded. "Not any more caged than I am, honestly." He turned the temperature down on the filets, and turned around, wedged in corner of the counter, a hand braced on either side as he looked at the Dane. "I know what you mean, it's hard to deal with the past, face the demons that linger there. But I think we get along well, and who knows, maybe we can be a paddle for each other. A source of stability."

The older man poured himself some more whiskey, tipping the bottle in question towards Will’s glass. “More? Fish smells amazing, by the way.”

Will smiled, holding his glass out. "Thanks. Hope you like it, s’all I know how to cook really."

Lucas stood and walked across the small kitchen to where Will stood. He poured some more of the amber fluid in his glass. “I’m sure I will. Your accent...it’s very distinctive. I don’t think I’ve heard one like that in person, only in the movies,” he said, setting the bottle back down, standing too close to Will yet again and feeling frozen in place once he realized it.

Chuckling, Will took a drink of his whiskey, nodding a thanks. He was starting to become pretty tipsy, especially with having an empty stomach. "Yeah? I think yours is pretty distinctive too," he said, noticing then how close Lucas was. "I just bet the women around here go insane over it..." The younger man's words were softer as he spoke, setting his drink down and burning a hole in the other's eyes. Without meaning to, he leaned forward, just a little.

The Dane nearly stopped breathing, his honey-tinged eyes fixed on Will’s lips. Why did it feel so tempting? Why could he only think of pressing the young man against the counter and drinking whiskey from his mouth? He reached for the counter for some stability, locking his own lips unconsciously. “I, uh, they...I wouldn't know. I mean I'm nothing special, just the big, quiet, weird foreigner to them, I'm sure.” He stood stock still, not daring to move, and not willing to yet, either, and he met Will’s blue eyes again.

Will had turned off the stove, letting the fish cool, when Lucas reached for the counter. Their bodies were only inches apart, and Will's heart raced. He instinctively raised his hand to cup Lucas' jaw, his eyes going down to those full curved lips. "You're special..." he whispered, leaning even closer, sucking his own lower lip through his teeth. He wanted to to kiss him, so badly, more than he'd wanted to kiss anyone.

Lucas’ heart was pounding against his ribs, and when Wil touched his face, saw the way the young man looked at his lips, he could feel his body respond, felt a shift in his boxers. He knew he was becoming aroused….that he'd  _ been  _ aroused, and his cheekbones grew hot, crimson staining his face and up to his ears. He looked down nervously, breaking their locked gaze and huffing out a nervous chuckle. “Oh, uhhh,” he said quietly, moving slightly. “It's not that I…” he started, not knowing what to say.  _ Fuck _ he wanted to kiss him, but he was so confused.

The younger man put his hands in his pockets and sighed quietly, clearly feeling a slight sting of rejection, though he could sense that Lucas wanted to. It was just that he had held back with Hannibal, never opened up like this, to anyone, and when he did, look at what happened. "No, it's okay, Luke," Will said, shutting down, but offering a smile. "I just, you know, maybe I read things wrong or maybe it's the whiskey." He looked down at his feet.

Lucas touched Will’s shoulder. “You’re not...you’re not reading anything wrong, Will. But I-I’m straight and I don’t understand what’s happening, with...this…” He sighed and stepped back, rubbing his face. “I’m not sure what’s happening or why. I...I’m confused, I guess,” he confessed shyly, pulling his hand away.

"I'm not gay," Will blurted out, and then rubbed his face as well. "I don't...seek out men. I've only been-" He stopped, not wanting to give away the information about Hannibal, that he’d been attracted to him. "It's fine, Lucas, honestly. I'm sorry I overstepped. I promise not to try to kiss you again." He'd said that to Alana before too, when she’d rejected him, maybe he wasn’t meant to be happy. What was worse was, there was no Hannibal to go visit and tell, no paddle. Although, if he knew where Hannibal was, this wouldn't be going on. Things were complicated all of the sudden and Will was finding himself feeling far too much. "Again...I can go, you can have the fish." He offered the Dane an apologetic look, and pushed off from the counter, preparing to leave.

Lucas’ eyes snapped up and he stepped in front of him, pressing his fingertips to the center of Will’s chest gently. “No, please don’t. I-I’m sorry. You didn’t overstep, I’m not offended....Please, Will, I don’t want you to leave. I want to eat dinner with you, maybe have some more whiskey. I won’t be strange, I promise,” he offered, a shy smile crinkling his gold eyes at the corner. He felt like he’d cry if the young man left now, and he begged him inside, with all he had, hoping Will would stay.

Will looked up at him, his blue eyes taking on an almost puppy-like expression, though he was anything  _ but _ that. "You're not strange," he smiled, and let out a shaky breath he didn't know he'd been holding. "I'm...I'm the one who crossed a line. That said, of course I'll stay." He touched Lucas' shoulder, just as gently, looking deeply into his eyes again. "I want to stay and to have dinner, with you." There was that desire to kiss him again, to pull him into his arms and let them both just pour out all of their grief and sorrow, take comfort in the other. He didn't though, and instead patted that same shoulder.

Lucas felt it, like a surge of electricity that was simmering between them, a low hot boil deep in his belly. But for now, he was simply relieved Will wasn’t going anywhere. “I’ll get some plates,” he offered, pulling out dishes to set the table.

"Great, thanks," Will said, turning to look at the fish. He felt that same feeling, but like Lucas, he was just relieved the awkwardness was over for the most part. "Got any chips, Luke?" he asked, taking a quick sip of his whiskey before putting the fish into a container to bring to the table.

Lucas looked at him with surprise. “You mean potatoes? I do have some, yes,” he said, pulling out a freezer bag with pre-made homestyle potatoes. “Not fancy, but I’ve gotten used to some of the convenience food around here, I must say,” he laughed, placing the bag in the microwave.

Will canted his head in confusion, just slightly, watching Lucas. "That works for me. Same actually," He smiled and then chuckled when he remembered that chips meant potatoes abroad. "I'd meant potato chips, but those actually sound better."

Lucas covered his mouth with his hand and laughed. “Oh that’s right. I have forgotten some things are named differently here. What you can chips are ‘crisps’ in Europe.” He took out some salt and butter and a large bowl as the microwave whirred. “My Mor used to make Kartofler. It’s a Danish dish; boiled potatoes and onions, with a little sugar and vinegar. They’re easy to make - I should make them for you sometime. Next time,” he added. “Since we’ll want something to go with the venison, right?”

Chuckling at their cultural miscommunication, Will nodded and sipped his whiskey, eyeing Lucas as he listened. The invitation to see him again, had his eyes brightening, cheeks flushing just so. "It sounds good and sure I'd like that. We don't want to let good deer meat go to waste." The younger man took the fish to the table and sat out the silverware which he'd seen earlier before gutting the fish. "By the way, what does  _ Mor _ mean?" he asked with a peaked brow, once he'd turned around.

Lucas looked at Will over the rim of his glasses as the microwave beeped. “It means ‘Mom’, ah sorry again. Some things stay with you,” he said, sprinkling the cooked potatoes with salt and butter and carrying them to the table. He paused, waiting for Will to sit before he did.

"No, it's fine. Hell, maybe I'll pick up the language," Will sighed, contentedly, stuffing his free hand into his pants pocket. At Lucas’ pause, he walked over and sat down, bringing his whiskey along with him. Once he had, he looked up at Lucas, thinking that this felt almost familiar, though very different, all at once. "The potatoes, or the chips, smell good."

“I’d love to teach you Danish, if you’re interested,” Lucas offered.

"I'm definitely interested," Will answered.

Picking up his fork, Lucas leaned over his plate, inhaling deeply. “Ahhh. The fish smells perfect, Will. Thank you for making it and saving me from my terrible fish butchery,” he laughed.

Will laughed right along with Lucas at his joke, his features lighting up. "Hey, no problem, couldn't have you losing a finger. What kind of friend would I be, right?" The younger man smiled again and then wrapped his lips around a forkful of fish, closing his eyes with a groan of satisfaction.

The Dane nodded and took a bite himself, but when he heard the sounds Will made, the way he looked eating, he felt that warmth spreading over him once again. He quickly took another swig of whiskey to try and gather himself. “It’s very good. Amazing, perfect flavors. I wish I’d known sooner I had such delicious dinner waiting for me in that river,” he said, winking at Will.

After swallowing, Will collected some potatoes onto his spoon and met Lucas' gaze, feeling himself heat up at the wink. "Thanks," he grinned, licking the flavor from his lips. "I'm looking forward to trying your meat as well. Been awhile since I've had any, deer meat, you know?" With that, he shoved the spoonful of potatoes into his mouth, smirking inwardly at his little double entendre.

Lucas noticed the apples of Will’s cheeks redden at his wink, and he looked down again, suddenly feeling bashful. The play on words went over his head, and he only agreed with him around a mouthful of potatoes. Swallowing his food, he hummed a little, unconsciously, at how good the food was. “I have some good recipes I use. I make a great marinade with beer and Worcestershire sauce. Usually make my own jerky, too. Would you like to know how to say ‘venison’ in Danish?” he asked, thoughts spilling all out at once as he tried to stop noticing how good Will looked as he ate.

"You sound like quite the cook," Will complimented, watching Lucas' mouth, listening to that delightful hum.  _ Fuck. _ He quickly forked a bite of fish to try to distract himself, chasing it with another sip of whiskey. At the question, he looked up, arching a curious brow. "I would yes, Luke. Please." Will smiled, and sat his fork down, wanting to give the Dane his full attention. As he waited, he rested his chin on the backs of his hands, elbows on the table, lashes fluttering over sea blue eyes.

Lucas was momentarily distracted by those long, thick eyelashes, and wondered how a  _ man  _ could have the most beautiful eyes he’d ever seen. “Ahh. It’s  _ dyrekød,  _ you say, ‘deeu ahhh keuuu’, the ‘d’ at the end is almost silent, and...purse your lips and curl your tongue a bit,” he explained, trying to enunciate slowly, trying to show him how to pronounce it by make his lips into an ‘O’.

Will was transfixed, watching Lucas, listening to the sexy way he said that word. He licked his lips again, absentmindedly, clearing his throat. "Oh, I see," he said, grinning just a bit, and then tried himself. His lips made that same shape, his pink tongue darting out as he tried to sound it out. It was followed with a throaty laugh, knowing he probably mispronounced it, but honestly he was so turned on right now he didn't mind. "I probably fucked that all up, didn't I?"

Lucas thickened in his pants and discreetly pressed himself down; Will’s sinfully red lips looked almost obscene as he tried to say the word. “No, it’s good, very good for your first Danish word. We can work on it, but good job,” he praised, licking his own lips in response to seeing Will’s tongue.

"Yeah? Well, thanks," Will hummed, pressing his own erection down when Lucas was distracted. God this was hard, both literally and metaphorically, he mused to himself and took a few more bites. Once he finished, the younger man leaned back in the chair, his hand on his belly. "That was good, I'm full, and ready for more whiskey. I’ll just put my plate in the sink, and yours if you’re done," Will offered, standing up without thinking, still hard from the looks they'd been giving each other.

Lucas’ eyes landed upon Will’s fly, seeing the bulge there, and his cheeks heated in response. He too was hard, but pushed back his chair and stood, holding his napkin and glass low in an attempt to conceal himself discreetly. “Yeah, uh, sure,” he answered. He averted his eyes and followed Will to the kitchen.  _ This is ridiculous,  _ he thought to himself, stumbling over his feet.

When Will realized his erection, he moved his free hand down in front of it and turned with a embarrassed smile, putting the plates in the sink. He wasn't usually  _ this _ sexual, but Lucas really seemed to affect him like no other. After rinsing the plates, he put them in the dishwasher, ass displayed as he bent over  and grabbed his tumbler of whiskey once he stood. “Maybe we could get the fire going? Pretty cold.” He looked over at Lucas, noticing the napkin in front of his groin and thought the same thing the other had thought, that this was silly, they clearly wanted each other.

The older man stared at Will’s ass, a little sound escaping his lips. While Will was facing away from him, he pushed down again on himself, exhaling a little too loud. He stood behind the counter and sipped his whiskey. “Oh a fire, yeah that’s a great idea, Will,” he replied. Lucas hoped perhaps in the time it took him to start a fire, perhaps he could calm down, though all he could think about was Will’s lips and that obscene bulge in his pants.

Kneeling in front of the fireplace, he lit some kindling and arranged the logs just so, and soon the fire was flickering to life.

Will's dusky hues had darkened at the sound Lucas had made, a secret little grin twisting on his pink lips. After refilling his whiskey, the professor walked over, slowly, taking in the Dane before he sat down on the couch. "It's getting warmer already, much better, Luke," the younger man said, his words a bit deeper, seductive almost. "I sat the whiskey on the coffee table, if you want more," he offered, and then took a big pull from his own, swallowing thickly. Will's eyes almost glowed, the golden light of the roaring fire lighting them up in an almost magical way. 

Lucas stood, turning to see Will leaned back on his sofa, and he moved the coffee table to refill his glass. There was no hiding it now, his cock hanging thickly down the front of his trousers. He took a seat on the couch next to Will, heart thrumming in his ear, looking ahead at the fireplace before finally turning to Will. He stared at Will’s lips and tipped back his head to take a long drink. “You’re right, that’s better, I think…”

Lucas' erection had certainly been visible, and it had Will's cock leaking, a little wet spot forming on the fabric of his pants. He suddenly felt very empty, between his cheeks and while he'd never been fucked, it was clear what he wanted, eventually, should it ever come to that. The brunet canted his head over at the older man, watching his Adam's apple bob with that swallow, an image of biting down on that tawny sensitive flesh entering his mind. "Mm yeah, not so cold now," Will said, clearing his throat and shifting, eyes trained on Lucas' mouth, and the way it twisted when he spoke.

As Lucas swallowed, his breath caught in his throat, and he licked away the alcohol, realizing belatedly he was once again staring. The liquor made his head swim and fogged his mind, forgetting why exactly he’d been torn about  _ wanting  _ to kiss Will. He set the glass on the table and slid closer. “Much warmer now, yes,” he said, his eyes flitting between the younger man's eyes and mouth.

Feeling the shift in the room, between them, Will took one more sip of his whiskey and sat his down with a clink. He wet his lips and leaned forward himself, sure that he was clearly reading what Lucas wanted. "We could be warmer still, I could show you...s'long as you want me too," the cunning boy whispered, lust blown pupils seeking what he had been coveting for awhile now. As he’d spoken, his fingers found their way to the Dane’s broad chest, curling into the fabric of his shirt.

“I want you to,” Lucas whispered, the words out before he could reconsider anything, eyes focused on Will’s lips completely, his posture relaxed and opened to him.

It was all Will needed, having been denied the first time, he had to be certain. With a swallow and a coy smile, he leaned in, and pressed their lips together at last. It was soft, initially, with Will pulling back to suck in a breath before he moved back in, tightening his hold on Lucas' shirt, keeping him there like he might run off. A low, guttural groan slipped past his mouth, his cock threatening to burst out of his pants then and there, he was so hard.

Lucas lips had been closed, but he found his jaw slacken a few seconds after the first contact. Hearing Will’s groan, he responded, his hands moving into Will’s soft curls to brace his head. When Will stopped, the Dane leaned in again, licking over the seam of Will’s lips, and he too released a soft, deep moan.

Will parted his lips for Lucas, slipping his tongue out to meet the other's. The contact of the wet muscle shot sparks through the younger man's body, to his groin, and roughened hands went to cup Lucas' face. At the other's moan, Will leaned back against the couch, keeping the older man with him. He wanted to let him move at a pace he was comfortable with, give him the upper hand if he wanted it--despite his inner beast howling and tugging at the bars of its proverbial cage, trying desperately to get free.

Lucas parted from Will for as long as it took him to take off his glasses and Will’s, setting each on the coffee table before cupping his jaw and tilting his head, lapping into his mouth eagerly. He was too aroused to even question anything now - all that mattered was the slightly sweet sour mash on Will’s tongue as their slick muscles slipped against each other with a slow urgency.

"Lucas-" Will moaned, panting raggedly, running his hands through impossibly soft chestnut tresses. It was the hottest kiss he'd ever experienced, the way their mouths slotted so perfectly. It was like it was written in the heavens, fate and circumstance bringing the two lost souls together. He sucked on Lucas' tongue, and nipped at his pouty upper lip before delving into the hot cavern of his mouth once again with an insatiable hunger.

Lucas cupped Will’s face in both hands, the unfamiliar scrape of the younger man’s beard feeling softer than he would have imagined. He never imagined kissing another man would ever feel like this...rougher, harder than the same with a woman. “Will,” he gasped, feeling like if he kept at this forever, it wouldn’t be enough, he couldn’t get  _ enough _ of him.

Will laid back onto the sofa, tugging Lucas with him, in between his muscular thighs. He didn't let the kiss break, feeding from him insistently. The younger man hooked his legs around the back of the Danes thighs, arching into him. "Fuck," he groaned, biting the word into the other's mouth. He wouldn't push for sex tonight, seeing as how this was new for them both but he also couldn't be bothered to stop. He didn't  _ want _ to.

With the added friction and pressure of Will’s movement, Lucas rolled his hips into the younger man, Will’s cock grinding into his, and he felt his own begin to leak against the now taut fabric of his boxers. He bit and licked desperately, rocking into Will rhythmically. He couldn’t ever recall anything hotter with anyone, not Nadja, no one. He pushed Will into the couch, one hand wandering down his body to feel him, grappling with the fabric of his shirt.

Gripping the back of Lucas' head with one hand, the other snaked up the back of his shirt, as Will undulated his pelvis again and again. He let out a pleasurable growl, which resonated from his chest and out as lips, teeth and tongues collided heatedly. He was on fire, every nerve in his body burning with unbridled passion, all seeming to chant the same name. The younger man kissed over Lucas’ jaw, to his neck, where his pearly fangs scraped over his pulse point.

The ache between Lucas’ thighs became almost unbearable, and he arched into Will, fingers fumbling with the buttons of his shirt. He ran his rough broad palms over the hot skin beneath, stopping suddenly as he felt the ridge of a prominent scar across his belly. He paused, breath caught in his throat, and focused on Will’s eyes. “Are you….alright?” he asked softly.

Will preened into the touch, his chest heaving and heart drumming loudly in his ears. A barely there shudder shot through his body when Lucas touched his scar, Hannibal's mark. He wasn't sure if the Dane's question was about that or what they were doing, so he chose an answer that fit either one. "I- uh...yes, I'm good, now. Especially doing this with you," he breathed out, staring up into those striking amber eyes.

The Dane ghosted kisses over Will’s neck, tugging his curls back to expose him to the pleasurable onslaught. As he did, he slid a hand over the outside of Will’s pants, rubbing his erection. “Good. I’m very good also, very good,” he whispered.

"Luke, shit, that feels good," Will groaned, moving his hands around to undo Lucas' shirt buttons, he needed to touch him more. He quickly worked them all undone and ran his fingertips through the thicket of graying chest hair, pushing into the Dane's palm.

The touch of Will’s hands on his chest only served to stoke the flames burning inside Lucas. Suddenly it felt like Will was wearing too much; he wanted to feel and see more. He leaned on one arm to work open the buttons of his shirt, but grew frustrated in his clumsiness and tore it open, the clasps flying everywhere. “Fuck, sorry, just need to,” he started, his accent thick with lust.

"No, I don't mind," Will panted, and pulled Lucas' shirt all the way off, and unzipped his pants, followed hastily by his own. He didn't pull them off yet, instead tightening the grip his legs had around the backs of the Dane's thighs. "Fuck, I want you." He tugged the older man to his mouth, kissing him more aggressively, biting his lower lip harder, bucking up into him. The younger man was becoming increasingly more feral, wanting to devour the other, in any and every way possible.

Lucas kicked off the remaining clothes and moaned as Will’s strong legs pinned him in place. He rutted against the younger man faster. “I don’t even, I don’t know how this works, but I want you so badly, oh fuck, Will…”

"I've never...never done this either," Will admitted, and released his legs so he could hook his fingers under Lucas' waistband. "But I want you to, please." He arched a coy brow as he said that, his words coming out in whispers. The other hand slipped between them to knead the Dane's very impressive and hard bulge, giving emphasis to what he wanted.

Lucas groaned from deep within his chest, but then realizing what Will was suggesting, he looked down quickly into his eyes. “Don’t you, don’t you need to...I’m...I’m too big Will, it’ll hurt,” he said, not to brag and not thinking what he was saying would sound that way; he simply didn’t want to hurt him.

Will chuckled, breathlessly. "You'll have to...work me open first, or I can. Do you, do you have any lube?" he asked, blushing at the question. "Maybe the bedroom would be better for it, I mean if you want." He thought about telling Lucas he'd fingered himself before, to reassure him, but he couldn't bring himself to be that bold. 

Lucas nodded. “OK, yes, this-this way. Yes, I have some...well, some I use for myself really, but…” he stammered, over explaining and blushing in embarrassment. He almost tripped standing up, but recovered and reached for Will’s hand to lead him to the bedroom. Will grinned, and took Lucas' hand, standing up to walk with him to his room. "Don't worry, I have it at home too."

Lucas’ bedroom was painfully simple, just a full sized bed, wooden headboard, a simple bachelor’s room, if not a bit messy. “Sorry for all this,” he said, nodding at the various clothes and trash laying around. “Haven’t exactly had any company since I’ve been here…”

"No, it's fine," the professor assured Lucas. “It doesn't look that far off from mine." Will wasn't messy persay, but since moving out here, he'd not been as orderly as he might otherwise have been. He stepped back, looking into those sexy golden eyes, and pulled off his pants, stepping out of them. His heart was racing all over again, his skin hot and cock still very much erect. "We should get you out of these, don't you think?"  

Lucas nodded, having forgotten himself again, staring hypnotized in the tractor beam of Will’s gaze. He went to a bureau near the window and rummaged through several drawers before locating a small blue bottle. “Found it,” he said with a cheeky grin, and began pulling down his pants. He stumbled backwards on the bed, tripping over the cuffs and laughing as he tugged off his pants, socks and all. “Come here,” he beckoned to Will, laying down, his thick, olive shaft jutting proudly between his legs.

Will's eyes went wide at the sight of Lucas, his laughing turning into something else, almost a moan. He stalked over to the bed, and stood before him, so turned on he could take him apart with his teeth. The younger man pulled off his boxers, quickly, his pink cut cock slapping audibly against his taut abdomen. Laying next to him, he hitched a leg over Lucas' hip, capturing his mouth again and grinning into the kiss. He then trailed his fingers down the hunter’s body, wrapping them around  his cock. Gently, he stroked up and down, getting a real feel of him. “Fuck…”

Lucas groaned loudly into Will, kissing him hard and tasting every corner of his mouth, strong hands running over the lean muscular body next to him. Every inch of the smaller man felt like pure heaven to him, planes of hard muscle, and he reached down to the soft, round swell of Will’s ass, kneading it roughly. “God, yes, yes, Will,” he begged as he felt the younger man fist over his aching erection. “Want you, want you so bad,” he begged.

" _ Take me _ , Lucas," Will insisted, his tone a bit lower. His body writhed with want, his hole twitching, needing to be filled. After a couple more strokes, he released the larger man's cock and rolled over onto his back, spreading his legs. He took the lube and popped the top and smearing a generous portion on his hole and pushed on in, his breath coming faster as he did. Eventually he has two inside, stretching himself open, moaning and writhing. Finally, the ex-profiler looked over, big blue eyes burning holes into the other, and licked his lips. "C'mere."

“Fucking god,” Lucas cursed as he watched Will, in a lewd display, readying himself for the Dane so obscenely, so beautifully. Shaking with need, he knelt between Will’s thighs and stroked himself a few times, rubbing against Will’s now-slick, hot entrance. He had no idea what he was doing, just that he’d never been so turned on in his life. Leaning forward, he held the base of his cock and pushed inside Will, seating himself to the root immediately. “Oh, fuck, oh fuck,  _ Will _ ….” he gasped, his mouth falling open as his impossibly tight, velvety heat swallowed him.

“Oh Fuck-” Will took in a sharp breath, digging his nails into Lucas’ biceps at the stretch, shutting his eyes briefly. It hurt a bit, burned, despite having worked himself open with two fingers. The Dane was just huge and they were both inexperienced, so a little pain was to be expected--Will didn't mind one bit. “Just...just kiss me, Luke,” the younger man panted, starting to relax and slowly open fully for the older man. “You're doing great, it feels good, but just go slow.” The brunet gazed up into warm golden eyes and smiled, his own conveying how much he was enjoying this.

Lucas nodded, dropping down on his elbows so they were face to face. He stilled his hips, resisting the urge to fuck into Will hard and fast, and moved slowly, in small increments. Biting kisses up his neck to his lips again, the Dane panted. “You just feel so good, Will. Is this better?” he asked, rolling his hips in shallow movements.

Will nodded, moaning, and wrapped his arms and legs around Lucas, sweat beading at his brow. He kissed him, deeply, tasting every corner of his mouth. "Yes, better. Shit, it feels good. You feel good," he breathed out, squeezing his hole on instinct. A few more strokes and he was finally, fully relaxed. "You can move, I'm okay now, so you can move more."

Lucas’ exhaled heavily, suckling Will’s lower lip between his teeth as he began to move, slow, lazy rolls of his hips as he still didn’t want to go too fast, knowing this was new for both of them.”Tell me….ahhh….tell me if it’s too much?”

Will kissed him back deeply, his hands trailing down the Dane's back to grip his ass. "No, it's perfect. Shit, Lucas, just like that," he groaned, pressing his head back into the pillow, the long muscular column of his neck exposed.

“Oh, fuck, Will,” he gasped, his belly pressing against the younger man’s cock. He wrapped his hand around Will, taking his length in one hand and stroking as he fucked into him faster. Will’s body felt like he was swallowing him, sucking every inch deeper and deeper, low, shallow grunts escaping his lips.

"Fuck me, c'mon, harder," Will growled, his more primal side wanting more, wanting all of Lucas. The younger man wrestled Lucas onto his back, using his powerful legs and arms to do so, not losing contact for a second as he did and started to ride him. He knew the older man was worried about hurting him, so in this position he could take control. Arching his back, he planted his hands on that deliciously furry chest and started to grind, taking him in and out of his ass at a faster pace. "Lucas-"

With Will rolling on top of him, Lucas gasped at the changed position, the furious way he began riding him. Lucas’ plush lips parted, his breathing becoming deeper as he felt himself about to come, and hard. “Will, Will, I’m going to….fuck I’m going to….” he stammered, hips beginning a tell-tale stutter, his large body shaking as he felt himself so close to his climax.

Will leaned down to kiss Lucas, wanting to eat every sound and word that fell from those full lips. "Do it, Luke," he insisted, feeling his own orgasm nearing the precipice. He continued snapping his hips back and forth, almost violently so and kissed down to the ex-teacher's neck, sucking a bruise there. How he wanted to bite hard, draw some blood, but he refrained. Still it was enough to finally send him over that edge, his breath coming out in hot ragged bursts in the hollow of the other's neck, come shooting between them and landing in a sticky pool. "Fuck, Lucas, Fuck-!"

“Oh god, Will,” Lucas groaned, the hot pulsing around his thick shaft finally giving way to a blinding shot of pleasure coursing through his veins. Lucas gripped Will’s ass roughly and ground up into him another half dozen times, screaming his name and a flurry of Danish curses as he came in a torrent that began leaking from the young man’s ass. “Will, Will, Will, for helvede, Will,” he panted.

Will's curls had bounced and fell into his eyes as Lucas pounded him those last few times, sweat causing them to stick to his brow. The hot warmth in his hole from Lucas' come was pleasant and not as weird as he might have otherwise imagined, shit, if felt...right, somehow. "Luke, that was, that was good," he panted, kissing the words into the older man's mouth, slower now and less frantic.

Lucas gasped into Will’s mouth as he came down, his heart still pounding in his chest. “God, Will, I have to say I think that was the best sex I’ve ever had,” he said quietly, returning his kisses lazily. “I guess….I guess this means we’re both gay or...well at least bisexual then,” he concluded, a little smirk on his face.

Will chuckled at that, slipping off of Lucas to lay at his side. "Or maybe we are just each other's exceptions. I agree, it was...mind blowing." The curly headed man kissed the other, and hooked his leg over Lucas' thigh. "Certainly more than hunting buddies now. I hope you don't harbor any regrets?"

Lucas rubbed a hand over his face and smiled. “I admit I was thinking about this from nearly the same day I met you. No, I have no regrets, Will. There’s no one I’m worried about offending - you’re my only friend, after all.”

Will smiled back, his blue eyes all but sparkling as he gazed at Lucas. "I wondered if you had been, or well, I felt that you had," he said, discreetly sharing a little about himself, since they'd just had sex. "I have no regrets either and you're my only friend."

Lucas felt exhaustion taking him over, though he wanted make love to Will again and again, he knew they had time. “You….you can, uh, stay here if you like. I wouldn’t kick you out, but I’m pretty tired myself,” he yawned, finally sated from their activity. “I think we’ll both sleep good tonight.”

"I'll stay, but just know I'm not the best sleeper," Will admitted, wondering if Lucas had caught onto his little hint at his empathy. Probably not, it wasn't common. "I'd love to stay actually, maybe I'll sleep better with you." He leaned over to kiss Lucas' lips again and then got out of bed. "Mind if I use your bathroom first, Luke? I need to....clean up." He rubbed his scruff, grinning as he did, his cheeks still flushed pink.

“Oh yes, of course, please make yourself at home,” Lucas replied, and knew he should probably do the same.

"Thanks," Will nodded, and walked into the bathroom, taking his clothes with him. A few minutes later and he'd washed off and put on his boxers and the flannel he had on before, skipping the pants. "S'all yours." After that Will climbed into bed, waiting for Lucas.

Lucas went into the bathroom, cleaning himself up as well and exiting in his own boxers, a fresh pair. He smiled as he crawled into his bed beside the younger man, situating his arm beneath his head. “Goodnight, Will,” he whispered, pulling Will’s chin up to kiss him.

"G'night, Luke," Will murmured, kissing him back and then yawning after that. He curled into him, enjoying the closeness, the intimacy. It was actually really nice. It wasn't but maybe a minute and Will was out like a light, sleeping better than he had in a long, long time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations: 
> 
> ~Helvede= Hell


	4. Chapter 4

The next morning Will woke up, and for once, felt refreshed. A bit sore, but good. He looked over at Lucas, watching him sleep and smiled, rubbing his eyes. It also didn't escape his notice that he hadn't thought of Hannibal in some time now. "Morning," he whispered and kissed the Dane's lips, resting his head on the furry, sleep-warmed chest.

Lucas stirred, initially unsure of himself as he wasn’t used to waking up with anyone, certainly not in years. As soon as he saw the tousled curls and soft beard on his chest, his heart swelled with warmth. Will… “God morgen, Smuk….” he said in a deep, raspy voice. “Good morning, beautiful,” he repeated in English. “Teach you a little Danish bit by bit, eh?”

With a yawn, Will smiled, casting an upward glance. A blush was apparent on his cheeks, spreading down to his smooth and toned chest, and he realized that this was quite the amazing way to wake up. "I'm up for the challenge." Propping himself up on one arm, he combed through his nest of curls, trying unsuccessfully to tame them. "Coffee?"

“ _ Kaffe _ ,  _ ja, _ ” he smiled at the loose curls, untamed by Will’s hand. The sweet blush in his cheek made him look so much younger, and he noticed some of the stress and sadness he’d seen before seemed melted away in the early morning light of dawn. “I’ll help you make it,” he said, pausing to kiss Will softly before getting up.

Fuck, that accent was really sexy, Will thought to himself, noticing Lucas also seemed happier than he had. After kissing him back, and forcing himself not to push Lucas back on the bed for another round, he got up. "Thanks," he said, and then stretched, padding sleepily behind the Dane into the kitchen.

Lucas went into the kitchen, scratching his behind, and got out the coffee, setting it to brew. “Want some breakfast? I’ll have to go finish dressing that deer. I have uhh, well, usually have toast with cheese and some strawberry jam, but I think I have eggs in here,” he said, rummaging through the fridge.

"I can make breakfast. I don't  _ think _ I'll mess up eggs," Will grinned, wrapping his arms around Lucas' waist as he was leaning into the fridge. "You take care of the deer and I'll do that." He was amazed at how comfortable he felt with their closeness already. It seemed to just fit, like two pieces of the same puzzle.

Lucas nodded and kissed him again. “Thank you, Will,” he replied. He headed into the bedroom to get dressed.

He emerged a few minutes later clad in a green plaid shirt and jeans, pulling on his coat. Lucas poured himself some coffee. “You know, on second thought, I think I'll take care of the deer after breakfast, though.”

Will licked his lips and sipped his coffee, eyeing Lucas over the mug. "Ok, I'll get started,” he smiled, and then pulled out the eggs and pan to begin making breakfast. While that cooked, he put on his clothing from yesterday and went back to check on the eggs. It didn't take long and they were done. He put the food onto plates and set the table. “Hopefully you like them scrambled.”

Lucas grinned at Will. “I don’t usually have eggs with breakfast, but yours smell very good. I’m sure they’re perfect,” he said, taking his coffee and sitting at the table. Will looked so handsome, flushed from working over the stove, or perhaps that was just his natural blush. Lucas was relieved he could stare at him unfettered with embarrassment at his attraction.

"Thank you, I hope you like them, I’m not much of a cook," Will said, grinning around his fork once he'd sat down. Lucas also looked very handsome, and the younger man made no hesitation in holding eye contact. He was very glad things had happened like they had, and even more so that the Dane wasn't regretful over it either.

“God, Will, it’s great. Your fish was amazing,  _ this  _ is amazing. Thank you,” Lucas gushed. His amber eyes followed the fork as it trailed from Will’s plate into his mouth, and again found himself daydreaming, only this time, he knew  _ exactly  _ how those beautiful lips tasted and felt. And, he knew he was falling for the young man.

"You're welcome. I'm glad you think so," Will flirted, taking a sip of his coffee. He wasn't used to be treated so well, and he almost thought he didn't deserve it. What would Lucas think when he found out about what he'd done back with Hannibal? For now, Will would just enjoy this, and hope it worked out. He was falling for Lucas too.

As they ate, Lucas felt himself harden in his pants, and pushed himself down just so they could get through breakfast, not wanting to seem like some kind of lust-driven horn-dog. He was just really turned on by Will, having woken up feeling this way, the newness of their shared intimacy arousing him endlessly. He licked his lips as he finished eating and smiled up at him.  

Will took the last bite of his breakfast, noticing the way Lucas licked his lips and smiled at him. He had been hard too throughout their breakfast. "I'd like a shower, if that's alright...care to join me?" he asked, arching a coy brow as he gathered their plates. The younger man was all too eager to feel those larger veiny hands on him again, as well as Lucas' full lips.

Lucas felt he was about to burst and nodded perhaps too quickly, a grin breaking over his face. “God, yes, yes, Yeah I would,” he said, and as he stood, he banged his leg on the table, his erection making it harder to move and tenting his pants quite obviously. “Oh, uhh…” he stammered, blushing again, but not attempting to hide it anymore.

Chuckling, Will put the plates in the sink and walked over to Lucas, wrapping his hands around his neck. "Have to make you nice and dirty before we get you clean," he murmured, and leaned forward to kiss him, a dark lusty sheen to his eyes. He backed him against the wall, pressing right into his erection, his blood heating up and own cock protruding obscenely.

Lucas let out a little huff of air as Will pushed him back, slipping his arms around his waist and looking down with a heavily lidded, golden gaze. The Dane moaned, a helpless, deep sound vibrating into the shorter man’s mouth as he kissed him back with equal passion, his hips bucking involuntarily. He couldn’t even remember why he’d bothered to get dressed in the first place, when all he could think of from the moment he’d woken up was this, was wanting Will desperately again.

Will had very similar thoughts as he licked into Lucas' mouth like a starving man, a man who'd gone without for far too long. "Fuck, Luke, you taste so good," he murmured, each word said between sloppy, loud kisses. A quiet growl resounded from his throat as he ground his hips harder, needing that friction, needing the man he was kissing. Deft fisherman's fingers carded through chestnut strands, tugging his hair gently as he bit down to the older man's pulse, sucking a bruise there.

Lucas’ head fell back against the wall as he felt the sweet pain of Will’s bite, and it send a shock of blood rushing to pulse through his shaft and harden him further as he ground against the younger man’s hips. “God, please, please Will…” he begged. “I want...want you...” His glasses slipped down his nose as his mouth fell open, and he wanted to be devoured by Will. He couldn’t believe the raw hunger and lust he brought out in him.

Moving back, Will's stormy gaze met Lucas' warmer one, his breath coming faster. "I want you too," he murmured, and then dropped to his knees, right there in in the kitchen, undoing the Dane’s fly and freeing his olive-tinged cock. Wordlessly, he gripped the base, and ran his hot tongue up it's length, suckling the tip. As he did this, he held Lucas' eyes, jerking the foreskin back gently. Will was starting to crave him, more than he’d ever anyone else before.

The Dane was startled by Will’s move, scrambling for purchase against the wall behind him, knees almost buckling from his already painful arousal and the almost instant rush of pleasure from Will’s strong, wet tongue. “OH fuck,” he gasped. As Will worked back the thin, satiny skin, exposing the sensitive, spongy tip, the soft inner skin of his lips over the head caused him to buck without meaning to, groaning loudly.

Will swallowed him down, getting a feel for him, relishing the taste on his tongue. More than that, he really loved the reaction it was eliciting in Lucas. He gripped the hunter's ass with one hand, opening his throat, letting him thrust into his mouth. The other unwrapped from the ex-teacher's shaft and went to his balls, rolling gently as his head bobbed and cheeks hollowed. After a few minutes of that, he popped off, saliva running down from his mouth and stood. “Fuck me, I need you-”

Lucas gripped both sides of Will’s head in his hands, spearing his tongue into his mouth hungrily, tasting himself as his wet cock poked into the younger man’s abdomen. He growled his agreement. “Will, please,” he begged.

Kissing Lucas back, Will groaned, touching him anywhere he could. He was ravenous for the Dane, and wanted to feel him inside, needed to be filled up. “Yes…” he rasped, nipping at the other’s lip, and then let go, all at once, holding up his finger before he all but sprinted into the bedroom to get the lube. Once he’d returned, only seconds later, the brunet bent right over the table, slathering his fingers to stick them in his hole. He made sure the older man could see as he readied himself, plunging two in immediately with a wet squelch. “C’mere…”

The sight was obscene, watching Will finger himself like that, just pushing his slicked-up fingers inside. Lucas’ cock twitched eagerly and he approached Will, walking towards the table behind him. Bracing a hand on his muscular back, Lucas lined himself up, rubbing his head along the slippery cleft of the younger man’s ass, and pushed inside with a gasp, sinking in completely as Will had bid him. “Oh fuck, Will…”

"Shit, Luke," Will grunted, sucking in a deep breath at the pleasurable intrusion. It felt amazing, Lucas' cock rubbing right against his prostate almost instantly. Gripping the edge of the table, he clenched his hole, looking back over his shoulders at the older man with lust filled dusky hues. It was just what he wanted, being stuffed full of the Dane’s cock. He wasn’t normally such a sexual being, but something in the man currently inside of him brought it out.

The way the fisherman looked bent over his dining room table made Lucas want to explode like a horny, impatient teenager. He had never really been very kinky, not that he knew of up until this point, but then again he’d also never been into  _ men _ before Will, but the younger man was introducing him to a whole slew of previously unknown predilections. Lucas licked his lips as brown eyes met blue, grunting  and rocking his hips into Will hard and fast, chasing his pleasure and seeking more of the delicious moans pouring from his mouth.

Panting, Will's breath came out hot, fogging the table as Lucas pounded into him so hard he could barely see straight. He was blind with desire, on  _ fire _ . The younger man knew he'd found a perfect match in the hunter. So many things they shared in common, and it only made the connection sweeter, a new more powerful type of conjoining.  It was beautiful. The smaller of the two arched his back, his ass pert and spread, the table sliding against the floor was their bodies slapped together in a hot, sweaty rhythm. "That's it, fuck, just like that-"

Lucas grabbed Will roughly by the back of his neck, his other hand reaching into damp curls to tug as he began a hard, fast pace, fucking into him brutally. His sharp grunts punctuated the air between them. “Oh god, you take it so good, feel so fucking good,” he gasped, his thighs tensing as he pounded relentlessly.

"Shit,  _ oh my god _ , Lucas," Will moaned, deeply, his body humming with delight at the hard fucking he was receiving. The hunter was the perfect combination of warm and sweet but a pure beast in this department. The brunet's arousal coiled and slid down his spine, into his groin, and he knew it wouldn't be much longer now; not with the way that sweet spot was being massaged with each thrust. "I'm going to, I'm going to fucking come-"

Lucas pressed himself flush against the back of Will’s body, bent over him entirely and reaching beneath him to stroke him hard and fast, his hand fisting over the man’s cock. A rough, calloused palm slipped over the satiny flesh, his fingers coated in pre-come as he pulled Will’s length, hips slapping wetly into the younger man’s plush backside. “Come on my cock, Will, come for me,” he rasped harshly.

Will braced himself on the table, his strong forearms bulging as he tilted his head to meet Lucas' mouth for a heated kiss. When he came, it was hard, his whole body shuddering, moans spilling into the Dane's mouth. His cock pulsed and hole gripped tight, his vision whitening out around the edges. It was mind blowing and had his chest heaving, eyes rolling back. "Fuck, Lucas-!"  

Lucas covered Will’s mouth with his own, devouring every moan and mewl greedily and howling against him as the younger man pulsed around his thick shaft. The sensation unraveled any semblance of control he had, shredding his reserve as he began to buck painfully hard into Will, driving him into the table and exploding inside him as he shouted his name over and over. “For helvede, elskede, min Will, ahhh, god, fuck…” he panted wildly.

The fisherman had no idea what those words meant but holy shit, they turned him on, and while he didn't know the meaning, he could feel the emotion behind them. Will panted, kissing sloppily into Lucas' mouth, sucking his tongue and tasting every corner in between the moans. Covered in sweat, and shaking, he raised a hand to grip the Dane's feather stands, keeping him close as they rode out their shared orgasm. "Luke, I could do this over and over," he sighed, kissing him slower, really feeding from him.

The Dane slipped out of Will, come dribbling from his puffy hole and down his legs as he turned him around to embrace him fully, kissing him passionately. “I could do the same, Will,” he confessed, holding the younger man tightly against his glistening, furry chest. “This is amazing. The best….the best sex I’ve ever had in my life, though it feels like more than that to me, honestly….” he paused, exploring Will’s mouth with his tongue like he couldn’t get enough of him, before stopping to lean their foreheads together, panting softly. “Fuck, we’re really dirty now,” he chuckled.

"Told you I had to get us dirty first," Will murmured, holding Lucas with equal emotion, kissing him back as if he didn't ever want to stop. "It is...more than just amazing sex, Luke." The empath gazed into those almost glowing golden eyes, his own dazzling, reeling, from their shared intimacy. He kissed him again, twice, the last one ending with a gentle tug through his teeth as he released it with a pop, and smiled. "Let's go shower, then tend to that deer out there."  

“Yes,” Lucas nodded, agreeing to both of the younger man’s statements, and he led him into the bathroom to start the shower. He felt like his heart was alight, on fire with the pure joy and love that was growing within him for this amazing young man.

Will eagerly stepped into the shower with Lucas once the water was ready, noting that his own, once lonely heart was bursting at the seams. It was a surprising design, that this had become, but one he would make to guard and keep safe. He was all too aware that he was falling hard, tumbling over that cliff once again but this time, in a whole, new magnificent way. "C'mon, I'll get you clean."

***

Fresh from the shower and dressed, the men were in the work shed and had cleaned the deer meat and packed it into Lucas’ freezer. He’d left just enough out to prepare some for dinner and dehydrate a bit to make into jerky, and they were making their way back inside for lunch, already working up an appetite again. The Dane put the strips of meat in his dehydrator and prepared a marinade from the venison, putting it away in the fridge. “Why don’t you start up the grill and we’ll have the rest of that trout for lunch, Will?” Lucas suggested.

"Good idea," Will nodded, and gripped Lucas face with both hands to kiss him quickly, before grabbing the charcoal and heading outside.

After about fifteen minutes he had a nice smoldering heat going on the grill, primed and ready for the fish. His belly rumbled and he went inside to let Lucas know it was good  to go. "All set," he said, going into the fridge to get a bottled water, the heat from the flames having warmed his skin.

Light conversation was had and glances were given as it had cooked until finally it was ready. Will felt a peaceful, almost quiet domesticity with Lucas. Things were easy, despite the secrets that lingered between the two. He brought the fish inside once it was done and offered the Dane a smile.

They plated their food and began eating. Lucas stared lovingly at Will as he ate, his amber gaze penetrating the younger man deeply. He could only think of how glad he was they were far from Denmark - far from anyone who could possibly compromise him with Will, anyone who could let the handsome young man know what horrible things he’d been accused of back home.  He smiled at Will around a forkful of food.

Will looked up at Lucas, his big blue eyes batting and cheeks flushing as he grinned back, also around his fork. He let himself feel what the Dane was feeling, just only for a moment, though he didn’t really have to even try, the room was thick with it and the feeling was mutual. The fisherman pushed back the things he’d done in his past, the men he’d slain. It had been righteous, and not without cause but still, he had felt that quiet sense of power and he’d certainly liked it. The brunet could never let Lucas know about the things he’d done, such a sweet man surely wouldn’t be okay with that past. Instead, he gazed into Lucas’ eyes, and continued to eat.  “I have a class to teach tomorrow, early, when do you work again?”

The Dane’s eyes fell longingly to Will’s lips. “I open the store in the morning also, about eight. Perhaps we could get in a little more fishing today, this afternoon, since we don’t have to work until tomorrow? Of course, if you have things to do, I’d never want to impose…” Lucas said in a rush. His loneliness did tend to often overpower his common sense sometimes, so eager was he to continue this connection, this friendship, wanting to keep this for as long as he could. Anything to keep the handsome young man in his orbit for even a moment longer. Perhaps an afternoon longer. Maybe even one night longer.

"I'd like that, a lot," Will said, licking his lips. He wasn't planning on letting the handsome Dane go. Will found him interesting, and charming, yet broken, much like he was in their own unique ways. The teacher was very lonely himself, after all. "Not an imposition at all, I...I like you a lot, Luke. I want to spend more time with you and that is not something I want often."

“Good. It’s settled then - fishing after lunch?” Lucas smiled warmly as they continued eating. “Then tonight for dinner I’ll make some venison steaks...some variety?”

"Yes, it's settled," Will smiled back, watching Lucas. "Variety works. I'm an adventurous eater, or used to be."

After they finished eating, Lucas pulled the waders they’d worn the previous day back on, over his jeans and waited by the door for Will. While Lucas had gotten ready, Will cleared the table and put the dishes to soak, and then put on his waders also. He went into the bathroom and when he came out, saw the hunter at door. He looked perfect, Will thought to himself. Without a word spoken, the ex-profiler walked over to the Dane and kissed him up against the door, taking his face into his large hands.

Lucas kissed the younger man back, images flashing into his mind of the younger man in nothing but those waders, bent over a log by the river. He softly tugged Will’s lower lip between his teeth, chuckling when he fell a little too deeply into the kiss and their glasses knocked together softly. “Oh, uhmm,” the Dane murmured. His breath came out too hot and urgent, his tongue sliding into Will’s mouth almost instantly, craving him. The dominant way Will pinned him down like that did something to the bigger man. He felt so hypnotized, so completely under the brunet’s spell, enraptured and starved for him constantly.

Gasping between breathless kisses, Lucas tugged at Will’s sleeve. “Maybe more of that when we get to the river, hmm?” he asked quietly, the thickness of his erection snaking around the front of his jeans pressed firmly into Will’s abdomen, rather insistent and difficult to ignore. 

Will gripped Lucas' cock through his jeans, feeling like he might come unhinged at any minute. The lion was no longer the lamb, the lion wanted what it wanted and that was Lucas. "Yes..." he breathed, looking at him intensely. "If I let you get to the river." He grinned over the older man's lips, sharing breath. He wanted him so badly, top, bottom, here or there, anywhere, Will just wanted him. Still, he could wait...for now.

Lucas swallowed hard, Adam’s apple bobbing in his throat slowly. He gasped at the touch of Will’s hand, pushing into him involuntarily and cursing under his breath in Danish. With a shaking exhale, he licked his lips, still tasting Will there, and smiled. “Perhaps a different wager for who has to clean the fish later,” he teased, reaching behind Will to squeeze his ass before turning him around to start their walk through the woods. He’d never had such a hard time controlling himself before, well not since he was a lad, never like this before with anyone. Will unlocked something absolutely feral in him.

Will walked outside of the cabin with Lucas and grabbed his fishing gear, the cooler in his other hand and looked at Lucas. “I think a different type of bet sounds good, Luke,” the younger man said, quietly, keeping close. He too, had never felt so much passion for another, and it was totally different than how it had been with Hannibal. All he could think about was Lucas, and he realized that he was growing feelings for him.


	5. Chapter 5

After a bit of walking and shared coy glances, they reached the clearing where they’d been the other day. Will set down the cooler and gear, looking out at the water. “Should be able to catch some big ones, s’long as you don’t distract me,” Will winked, bending over to open his tackle box. 

Lucas’ nostrils flared as he watched Will’s rear end rise into the air temptingly, the round curve of his ass pressed clearly against the fabric of his jeans. He walked up behind him, running his palm over the soft swell and slapping playfully. “No, wouldn’t want that. No distractions,” the Dane chuckled, biting his lip as he admired.

Will swallowed, thickly, and looked at Lucas from his stooped position, dark curls falling into his eyes. "It would just be a travesty if there were," the fisherman drawled, having loved the feel of the slap on his ass, as well as the hot palm. With his bait in hand, he stood, and turned around with blushing grin on his face. "Just... _ seeing _ you there, is distracting," he pointed out, his jaw clenching and shifting.

The Dane’s dark eyes glowed in the light of the late morning sun, roaming from Will’s own intense azure gaze to his damp, ruby lips. “Is it so wrong that I can't seem to stop wanting you, Will?” He brushed his thumb over the younger man's sharp jawline before dropping his hand to lean down, too close, to retrieve some bait and work it onto his own hook. He smiled at Will and turn to walk to the river.

"Wrong? No," Will answered, grinning, and stared at Lucas' ass as he walked towards the stream. He baited his hook and trudged into the water as it splashed against his waders. "I don't want you to stop wanting me, because I want you, too." He glanced over at the Dane briefly, sweeping his tongue over his lips and inhaling sharply through his nostrils before he cast out his line.

Lucas watched the way Will cast into the stream and followed suit. His eyes rested on the way the rolled-up sleeves of Will’s shirt exposed thick forearms, revealing veins and striations of muscle. He swallowed as he recalled the way Will’s come had tasted on his tongue, salty and bitter but strangely delicious, something so perversely decadent and intimate about it that made him crave more in a way he couldn’t have imagined. He’d never really even tasted his own much less thought he’d like another man’s. But Will was teaching him there were many things he liked he didn’t know he would. The older man stared at him hungrily through the frames of his glasses, a small smile on his lips. “Glad you don’t think it’s wrong…” he said quietly.

Will looked over at Lucas, his arms bulging as he made an adjustment to the line and grinned. "It felt,  _ feels _ right. Perfectly normal and natural," he murmured, having left his glasses on the cooler for now, not really needing them anyways. Especially not with Lucas. "You look pensive, Luke. Thinking about your line or something else?" He offered the Dane a wider grin, his pearly teeth gleaming in the early light.

The younger man’s eyes looked so blue, almost crystal in the light with the water reflecting off them, and the way his entire face lit up with that smile left a tight ache in Lucas’ chest. He blushed and looked down at his line. “I was thinking about....” He looked up, down the river and back over at the younger man with a shy but somewhat naughty grin. “Well, I was thinking about how good you taste, Will. When you...when you...you know…” he pulled the line through his fingertips as he’d seen Will do, daring to look back at him again and licking his lips.

"Mm, yeah?" Will asked, arching a flirtatious brow at Lucas, licking his lips in turn. "You're making me want to pull in this line and go back to the bank." The brunet took a shuddering breath at the thought of being taken out here, in the wild, or even in the water. More than just the desire he felt, there was a swell in his chest, profound emotions growing that started with a simple seed.

Lucas’ cheekbones reddened again. “Can’t say I’ve ever had it this bad for anyone. I want you all the time, Will. You make me feel like a goddamn teenager,” he chuckled, biting his lip and looking up at him again.

Will laughed at that, tipping his head back, his adam's apple bobbing as he did. He was just so very happy. "I feel the same, can't get enough," he sighed, contentedly, and looked at Lucas again. The teacher waded over a little closer, and pulled his lower lip through his teeth, checking his line briefly. "You mentioned a bet? What are the terms?"

Lucas tugged the rod, his large hands sliding over the metal as he looked Will up and down, less and less able to conceal the lust in his eyes with every passing moment. “Just thought maybe...whoever can't hold back...whoever gives in first...but it's a losing battle, isn't it?” he asked, blood thrumming loud in his ears.

"I'd like to think it's a battle we've both won," Will offered, grinning at Lucas. He wasn't able to conceal his feelings either; they were alive and very present and apparent. He was drawn to Lucas, like a moth to a flame, wanting to know every part of him, keep each piece safe, and let him know that he wouldn’t ever hurt him or judge him. Right now though, he was very turned on, the wolf rattling in its cage. Before he could say anything else, his line dipped down, and startled him from his reverie. Luckily, he didn’t lose the fish, and reeled it in. “Caught a big one!”

A bright smile lit up Lucas’ face as he watched Will bring in the creature, his biceps flexing against the tight cotton of his flannel shirt. “Looks like you did, Will,” the Dane said, watching as water splashed all around them.

Will held up the fish and looked over at Lucas with a grin. "I'll go put this in the cooler.” He waded through the steam and stepped onto the bank, killing it quickly and dropping it inside. The fisherman re-baited his line and just watched the Dane for a moment, thinking about how handsome he looked. “You staying out there for a bit?”

Lucas shook his head and pulled up his rod, walking up the bank. “I think I’d rather stop awhile,” he remarked, setting the pole on the ground and approaching Will, watching his mouth with a hungry expression. “Think I feel like cleaning fish tonight.”

Will sat his pole down and looked at Lucas, running his thick, calloused fingers through his curls. "Yeah? he asked, arching a coy brow, sweeping his pink tongue over his lips and then biting the lower one. "We can...do whatever you want, Luke."

Lucas hooked a thumb under the strap of the bib on his waders and let it fall, standing on the river bank now and pushing him down his broad frame. Beneath he wore a brown flannel and jeans, and he kicked the waders off, throwing them across the log where they had left their gear. The sun was out now and it had warmed considerably, and he unbuttoned and pulled off the soft cotton outer shirt, revealing a camel colored henley that clung to his muscular chest. The Dane removed his glasses and set them carefully atop the garments, licking his lips and moving closer to Will, sliding his hands around the shorter man’s waist. “We can? Whatever  _ I _ want?” he asked playfully.

Will watched Lucas take off his waders, and his flannel, his eyes burning with a feral lust. He, in turn, did the same, placing them over Lucas' and slowly unbuttoned his flannel leaving it open to reveal his smooth muscular chest by the time the Dane had wrapped his arms around his waist. "Mhm, maybe something we  _ both _ want," the powerful young man grinned, hooking his arms around the hunter's neck. He curled his thick fingers into the older man's hair and pulled him to his mouth, kissing him aggressively. No time for hesitation, no need for any of that, he wanted him and now, how fortunate that he'd slipped a bottle of lube in with his tackle. "I'd like for you to fuck me."

A moan escaped Lucas’ lips at Will’s aggression, the way he grabbed him and ground against him so lustfully, and particularly his demand. He stroked over the young man’s chest, fingers pausing over flat rosy nipples to pinch as they rapidly pebbled beneath his rough hands. He reached behind Will to grip his ass through his jeans, pulling his cheeks apart and kneading them. “Come here,” he exhaled, moving to the log and turning Will around. Standing pressed against Will’s back, he continued tasting his mouth, curled around him and kissing him hard as he ran his palm down Will’s flat belly.

"Lube's in the tackle box," Will groaned, in between kisses, his ass jutting out to grind against Lucas' encased cock. The birds chirped overhead, a cool, pleasant breeze tousling the curls on Will's head. It was perfect. The empath had never been so sexual in his life, but with Lucas he found he craved it, craved  _ him _ . He angled his neck, the prominent vein that lined it bulging out while his jaw shifted with their kiss. “Shit-”

Lucas dipped his hand beneath the waistband of Will’s jeans, wrapping his hand around his leaking erection and tugging as he rubbed himself against the curve of the younger man’s ass. With a needy groan, he pulled his hand out to unzip his jeans, pushing them down Will’s hips to mid thigh, and immediately began massaging the soft, plump flesh. “Fuck, Will,” he grunted, quickly undoing his own jeans and letting them fall to the ground, kicking free from one leg. With him bottomless now, and Will partially so, the older man bent over himself to find the lube in Will’s tackle box.

Will moaned, his breath coming faster at the stimulation. He bent over, his hands finding purchase on the log and spread his thighs as much as his jeans would allow him. The ex-profiler felt exposed, uninhibited and very much on display. He briefly wondered if this was the thrill Hannibal got when he displayed his work, or indulged in acts of hedonism. Associations came quickly for the brunet but it was a fleeting thought and not one that meant he was longing for the cannibal. No, he only wanted Lucas, and was falling for him, in all actuality. "C'mon, I  _ need _ you."

Lucas poured lubrication in his palms and slicked himself up quickly; the image of Will bent over in front of him, spreading himself open and pressing towards him made his cock ache from arousal. He leaned down and yanked Will’s jeans down further, pulling them off his legs so he could spread him even wider. “I need you, too Will, oh my god,” he moaned, rubbing his slippery fingers over Will’s eager, twitching hole, and twisting two fingers in slowly. He was a big man, and didn’t want to hurt Will, no matter how desperate they were for each other.

Will wasn't averse to pain, but he appreciated how Lucas took precaution with him; he could feel how much he cared, and it warmed him to his very core. He groaned at the intrusion, those thick fingers pressing right against his prostate, awakening his senses that much more. There needed to be a conversation after this, when they got back, he thought to himself, almost unable to formulate the idea from how amazing that felt. "Feels good, fuck, yes, just like that."

Lucas bit his lip and pushed down on his throbbing erection to try and control himself, adding a third finger and curling up, brushing Will deep inside. His experience was limited, but as he’d recently discovered, the younger man seemed to respond beautifully when he touched him there.

He pushed down once more on his own flesh and it sprang up with a slap against his belly as he worked his fingers in and out of Will faster. “You look incredible, Will,” he whispered.

Looking back at Lucas, Will bit his lower lip, curls scattered in his eyes. His hole clenched and skin heated up, blood thrumming in his ears. It was truly a rare gift, what they were growing into, and the younger man knew that every part of himself wanted them to meld into one with the man behind him. He moaned at the thought, and at the pleasure, his muscles flexing and begging for more. "Lucas-"  

The older man could restrain himself no longer, and gently pulled his fingers from Will, replacing it with the throbbing head of his cock. Lucas pulled Will against him as he pushed inside fully, sinking into the wet clutch of his body. “Oh, fuck,  _ oh fuck _ , Will,” he gasped, trembling as he felt Will suck him in.

"Oh fuck, Luke," Will panted, his own cock leaking profusely from the tip as he was fill to the brim. Lucas felt out of this world, and pressed right against his pleasure nub as he started to fuck into him. He spread his legs even more, his cheeks parting further, he wanted to take in every last inch of him, have the Dane be so far inside that he didn't know where Lucas ended and he began.

Lucas braced the back of his thighs against Will’s, gripping his hips as he rolled into the impossibly tight heat over and over. He threw his head back and moaned, the exquisite feel of Will’s body gripping every inch in a slippery vice. Though his experience had been limited despite his age, he’d never felt anyone like this before. He draped himself over Will, scraping his teeth over the back of his neck and moaning as he reached around to stroke the younger man in rhythm with his pounding.

Will moaned, a breathy deep sound, and gripped the log tighter, his orgasm finally spilling over Lucas' knuckles. He felt dizzy from how intense it was, having never in his wildest dreams expected this type of sex to be so gratifying. As he rode out the waves, his hole twitched and strangled the older man's dick, wanting to milk him for all he had.

Lucas could feel Will bear down on him as he came undone beneath him, and the pulsing pull of the younger man’s climax sent Lucas falling forward, the electric spike of pleasure jolting through him like lightening. He bucked his hips wildly against Will’s ass and came hard and deep, a flurry of Danish curses slipping through his lips. “Will, oh Will...Will...for helvede, Will,” he cried out, his large frame quaking. He leaned on his palms as he rode it out, panting roughly against Will’s sweat-dampened back.

Will grunted with each thrust, his curls bouncing. He felt relief, and warmth, all of things he'd never felt with anyone else before now. With a deep breath, he stood up, taking Lucas with him as he leaned back against his chest. "Oh shit, Luke, that was so good," he murmured, looking back at him as he slid off his cock gently and turned around fully. The smaller man leaned for to kiss the hunter, and nosed their noses together. "I, uh, want to talk to you about something. Nothing bad, but I'm going to get dressed first."

Lucas felt a shift in his gut at the words, but nodded, clenching his jaw. “Of course,” he replied, retrieving his clothes and wiping himself off as he recovered his breath. Pulling on his pants, he took a seat on the log to get his shoes back on and pull his shirt over his head, and watched Will with cautious eyes, bracing himself for whatever it was he wanted to talk about.

The smaller man got dressed again, pulling on his pants and then buttoning up his shirt. After putting on his shoes, he sat next to Lucas on the log and looked over at him. He could feel the nervousness radiating off of the Dane, so he offered him a warm smile. "So, Luke," he began, clearing his throat, not the best in situations like this, "I...really like you. I was wondering where you see this heading because I don't want to stop." He shook his head, at himself, feeling a bit like a school boy, as his hand rubbed at the scruff on his face. "We can go slow, or anythin you need."

Lucas looked down and then up at Will, finally exhaling as in relief. It wasn’t what he had been expecting to hear, but he was glad. “I really like you too, Will. I mean….it’s fast I know but, I want to keep seeing you, if you want to…” he paused, knowing there would be more. More for them to talk about, but he just didn’t know if he could go there yet. He placed a hand on Will’s knee and rubbed gently. “Gotta admit, I mean this is a first for me, uh, dating a man, so uncharted territory. But I….I have feelings for you…” he confessed quickly, a blush rising over his cheekbones.

"First for me too," Will grinned, blushing right along with Lucas. He knew it was quick, but Alana had turned him down when he'd kissed her impulsively, he'd taken years with Hannibal, for it all to amount to nothing but heartache and blood, and now, now that he had Lucas, he didn't want to make those same mistakes. In his mind was also the thought that nothing good in his life ever seemed to last, so he wanted to enjoy this while he could, and hope for the best. His past was like a ghost, hanging over him, threatening to pull him back down into the sea. With a hand placed atop Lucas' he sighed. "I don't want to rush you, but I also don't want to lose this opportunity, so yes, I want to keep seeing you, s'long as you do too."

The Dane nodded, long strands of silvery hair falling in his eyes as he did, and he blushed, looking down and pushing them away. “I can’t pretend to know what you see in me, but I won’t argue with such a wonderful work of fate. I….I enjoy spending time with you so much, Will, not just….not just this, but everything,” he answered, lost in those beautiful, sky-blue eyes.

Will sighed, exhaling through his nose as he grinned again and then leaned forward to kiss the warm older man. "I see a lot, you're...you're afraid to open up, you've been hurt, like I have, so it makes you doubtful," the younger man said. "But you have a big heart, and put others before yourself. And I like spending time with you too, for more than just this, Luke." He was going to open up, a little at least, let him know about his, gift, it could be called that. Maybe the Dane would reciprocate.

Lucas smiled openly at Will, still shy but warmer at the open kindness of the handsome young man. “You are very perceptive. You seem to see what others don’t. This is why you’re such a good teacher, I’m sure.” He looked over the smooth river water as a falcon swooped low over the water, ripples ebbing over the water in it’s wake. “I...I...am not one to open up easily, Will, but I appreciate how patient you’ve been,” he added, his eyes inexplicably misting up as he looked down bashfully again and rubbed his eyes in slight embarrassment.

"I am able to step into other people's shoes. I have what's called pure empathy, and while I can use it, I often chose not to. I build forts, keep people out, mostly," Will explained, clamping a hand on Lucas' shoulder as he followed his line of sight to the falcon. Maybe it was the other's shyness that brought out the brunet's more open side. Looking back at the Dane, he took in a deep breath, and leaned in to kiss the older man's jaw. "Patience, is something I've had a lot of practice with, there's no hurry, we have all the time in the world."

“I do a lot to keep people out too. It wasn’t always like that. I...I was betrayed. By people I trusted the most, with a terrible, horrible lie,” Lucas finally confessed. He wiped a hand over his face and rubbed his eyes. He didn’t know if this was the best time to talk about all this. Maybe it wasn’t, but he’d risk it anyway, given how honest the handsome young man was being.

Will was surprised at Lucas' confession, but glad he was opening up. The fisherman nodded sympathetically, and listened. "I know a thing or two about betrayal. I'm sorry that happened. If I may ask, what was the lie?" Will inquired, with an arched brow as he wrapped an arm him. He wouldn't push it, if Lucas didn't want to say anymore than that; after all he had secrets too.

Lucas hesitated but pressed on, emboldened by Will’s gentle nature. “I taught small children, as I mentioned. One little girl grew very attached to me, developed a childish little crush, harmless, innocent, sweet. A dear wee one. But….she got confused, I don’t know how, I swear to you, I did nothing, but she....she told them I’d…” he broke down, beginning to choke up. “She told them I’d touched her, molested her. It was a lie, but she was just a confused child, it got blown out of control. No one believed me. She...she later said she had told the lie as a joke, meant no harm, but at that point, it was too late. I was acquitted, no evidence found, but there was no going back.”

Lucas began to cry, tears flowing down his face. “They killed my dog. I lost almost every friend. I was beaten. I couldn’t go anywhere. They tried to kill me. I was thrown from church on Christmas Eve.  All for something I never did. I loved those children with a good, innocent heart. I’d sooner cut off my own arm than hurt a hair on their heads. I lost everything, Will,” he said, his voice broken, and his head fell forward and he cried freely.

Will could feel Lucas' emotions so strongly, so sincerely, that his own eyes began to grow damp. He couldn't fathom how anyone could accuse such a wonderful and kind man of such tastelessness, and to even kill his dog? Will's blood boiled at that, he wanted to find each and every man who had wronged the dane and give him justice. A quiet storm welled up inside Will and it was so intense, that he had to take in a deep breath; he needed to be strong for his lover. The younger man got around in front, on his knees and wrapped both strong arms around him, holding him close. "Listen to me, Luke, I believe you. You did nothing wrong, and you may have lost a lot but now...now you have me. You have me Lucas, and those crazy sons of bitches can't touch you again. I won't  _ allow _ it."

Lucas gasped for air to calm himself, feeling a rush of comfort emanating from Will that seemed to envelope him in comfort. He didn’t know what he expected….he’d hoped Will would believe him….but he seemed to do more than believe, it was as though he truly understood and even felt his grief and sorrow. “You….you believe me...Will?” he asked. “That means everything to me,” he said, holding onto him tightly, relief washing over him.

Will leaned back to meet Lucas' damp gaze, moving his hand to cup his jaw and kiss him softly. "I do, I know you're being honest. They did you a great injustice. They'll get what's coming to them one day." After he said those words-- words that were laced with the promise of righteous death to anyone who dared to hurt Lucas again--he hugged him, wanting nothing more than to take away his pain.

The Dane shook his head. “I just wanted a peaceful life with my son. One day I was hunting and a shot narrowly missed my head. A hunting “accident”. That was when I knew I had to leave, and I came here. No one would know me….but I’ve been so alone, afraid to trust anyone, afraid they would know, somehow….until you,” he said, his red-rimmed eyes finally meeting Will’s again. There he saw a look he never thought he’d see again. Love and trust. Someone who saw him for who he really was and loved him. That was all he ever wanted.

Love Lucas, Will did, though he'd not confessed this much yet, and it had taken him by surprise that it had developed so quickly, but he felt it. "Monstrous," the American said, shaking his head at how inhuman those men sounded. He could picture it, if he wanted, but he stopped himself, not wanting to grow angrier than he was. Instead, he brushed the back of his thick knuckles over Lucas' sharp cheekbone, gazing at him. "I'm falling in love with you," he blurted out and then quickly blushed, hoping the other man felt the same.

Lucas’ plush lips parted in surprise at the words, ones he never fathomed he’d hear, not so soon, not from this beautiful young man. “Will,” he gasped in amazement. “I...I’m falling in love with you, too,” he said, “I’m not ...not just saying that,” he quickly added, leaning forward towards Will and tipping his chin into him. He hovered over his lips for what felt like an eternity, a wellspring of emotion lying heavily between them. With a soft sigh, he kissed the younger man, his tongue exploring Will’s mouth with renewed passion, more behind it now than there had been before.

Will smiled with a sigh of his own, happy to hear that Lucas felt the same. It was soon, but he'd known almost instantly that there was something powerful between he and the Dane. An unbreakable connection. He kissed the older man back, with all of his soul, pouring his feelings right into the other's mouth, and wrapped his arms around his torso. It had gone from tears to this, and yet Will still hadn't told him of his own dark past, or of Hannibal. It was far worse than he thought the kind man was ready to hear, but he knew eventually it would have to come out.

Lucas’ thick fingers wove into Will’s curls, the aching sorrow in his chest giving way to the joy he felt in finally realizing this true, honest connection, acceptance and love again. “You’re amazing, Will,” Lucas whispered when they pulled apart to take a breath, his golden eyes wet with tears.

"You are too," Will whispered, his blue eyes gleaming in the light, wind blowing through his hair. He finally got up from off of his knees and stood to stretch after kissing Lucas once more. "So should we head back, or do you want to get a little more fishing in?" he asked, just happy to be with the Dane, especially after what they'd just confessed.

Lucas stood and stretched as well. “We can get some more fishing in before we head back up,” he smiled. The fresh air would do them both some good.

They donned their waders once more and headed into the stream, the afternoon spent quietly, fish biting well as they caught several more fish each, warmed in the afternoon sun. Hours passed and finally they packed in their gear and headed back up to Lucas’ cabin, Will cleaning the fish and packing them away on ice as Lucas prepared the venison he’d been marinating earlier, cooking up some delicious-smelling steaks for their dinner.


	6. Chapter 6

 

A couple weeks had passed, the two outdoorsmen spending as much time as possible together, hunting and fishing, sleeping over, and quite a bit of time not sleeping. Their bond grew, feelings deepening and growing stronger, and Lucas was happier than he could remember being in a long time, certainly since before everything had gone wrong back home. It made it all the worse the morning his peace was shattered by a particular visitor to the sporting goods store one day.

The blonde could easily be seen navigating his way through the aisles towards the registers; at over two meters, he towered over just about everything in the place.

As soon as Lucas saw Johan, his heart caught in his throat and his stomach lurched. He quickly attempted to walk down the aisle to the storeroom, but it was too late.

“Lucas.”

He stopped and turned slowly, feigning a look of shock. “....Johan?” He looked around in confusion. “Det forstår jeg ikke…?? Hej...What are you doing here?” Lucas stammered, half in Danish, half in English.

“Hej, Lucas, Hvordan har du det? Been looking for you, wondered where you’d gone. So far from home, now, eh?” the big man said, walking over to the counter and looking down at Lucas. He wasn’t friendly, but not outright threatening either. He didn’t need to be though; his very presence said everything quite clearly.

“I’m not bothering anyone, Johan. I just want peace and quiet, please. What do you want with me?” Lucas asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

“That’s exactly it. You run away out here, think you can get away with what you did and live in peace, while Klara and Theo and those poor children suffer every fucking night with your fucking evil? It’s too fucking bad I missed that shot. I’m not gonna miss next time. Enjoy what peace you have now, your days are numbered.” Johan turned and lumbered out slowly.

A cold sweat broke over Lucas’ face, and blood drained from his pale visage, his eyes wide with panic as he took short, shallow breaths and tried not to cry right there in the store. He gripped the edge of the counter as he felt his heart pound; how could this be happening again? How had Johan found him? And why would he want to kill him now? Why would he come all this way for him? And Will, what about Will? He couldn't risk his love’s life - if Johan planned to kill him, even being near the young man could put him at risk. Lucas raised a shaking hand over his face and removed his glasses, rubbing his eyes. This was his nightmare all over again.

***

During the time he and Lucas had spent together, Will had also managed to adopt two pups, very recently, one a Siberian husky with gorgeous blue eyes and another that was as black as night, a friendly Labrador. As he walked Luna and Duke, about an hour after Johan--unbeknownst to Will--had approached Lucas, he spotted a strange and tall man lurking around his boyfriend's cabin. The man was huge, and toting a rifle. The ex-agent stayed hidden, and quickly headed back towards his own cabin to put the dogs inside and come back. He needed to watch this man closely, keep Lucas safe.

About thirty minutes later and Will had returned, knowing Lucas wouldn't be home from work for probably another hour or two, to find the same man still lurking about the Dane's cabin. It seemed as though he waiting for him there.

Will drew his gun and approached, his hackles raised. He hadn't slain anyone since the dragon, didn't want to have to actually, no matter how beautiful it was. Briefly the image of displaying and eating this man entered his mind but he pushed it away, no, he wouldn't allow himself to become the monster that Hannibal had insisted he was.

"Hey! What are doing?" Will asked, pointing his rifle right at the big man.

The man turned, surprised to see anyone out here at all. Seeing the small man with a gun, he put his hands in the air. “I’m looking for a dangerous criminal out here. A foreign man. I mean you no harm,” he said, furrowing his brow.

"Be careful, friend, you don't know who's side I'm on, nor do you know if I mean _you_ harm," Will said, his blue eyes dark and stormy, the promise of blood behind them. "The only dangerous man out here right now is _me_." He walked closer, keeping his gun trained on the impossibly large man, totally unafraid. It felt, powerful, the way he sensed the surprise in the other, how his own heart rate remained steady. "I'll let you live, but don't come back here again, Lucas and I want no trouble from you."

At the mention of Lucas’ name, Johan’s eyes turned dark, like a switch flipped quite suddenly. “You may think you know Lucas, but you don’t. You don’t know what he’s done or what he’s capable of.” His tone softened as he looked at Will’s weapon, hands still raised. “I’m sure he hasn’t told you why he’s here, or what he ran from in Denmark. Why would he? He has secrets, terrible secrets. You should be careful,” the tall blonde warned, staring warily at him.

"I _do_ know Lucas, you apparently do not. Would you like me to go over the part where he was acquitted of the charges involving the child at the preschool or how someone shot at him? Yeah, I know about that, and I also know he _didn't_ do it. Another thing I know is that you need to leave, before things get worse," Will warned, not relenting, and instead walked closer to the man. He cocked the gun, and aimed at the man's heart; it wouldn’t be an intimate death, but he didn't deserve that. Hopefully this wouldn't come to murder. "I'll also advise you that I'm not the one who is trespassing, nor stalking an innocent man. _You_ should be careful."

Johan stared with narrowed eyes at Will. Without another word, he kept his hands raised and nodded, walking away. It was not something he had planned for, running into this American who seemed to know all about the situation. It would require him to regroup. He backed away until he was enough distance to turn around, and broke into a run.

***

Lucas decided to go home early that afternoon, his stomach uncomfortably sick about his encounter, worried for Will and not knowing if, or how, to tell him about his former acquaintance. He’d need to stay away from him but he’d have to explain to him why and warn his love, and it would kill him, but he didn’t know what else to do. He wondered if Will might know what to do, but he didn't want to put him at risk, either.

As he headed up to his cabin, he was surprised to see Will on his porch, waiting for him.

"Luke," Will greeted and walked up to kiss his boyfriend's lips once, embracing him. "I was waiting for you because we need to, um, we need to talk." He took a deep breath, the look of concern flitting over his blue eyes. He wasn't sure how the Dane would react, he hoped he wouldn't want to leave, but he didn't want to have him in danger either.

“Yes, we do, but please, go ahead,” Lucas began, concern clouding his face as he dipped his chin to return Will’s kiss. He opened the house and walked inside, getting down a couple of glasses and pouring them each a shot of whiskey.

Will walked over and stood next to Lucas, his hip resting against the counter with on hand in his pocket. He took the glass and held it up before throwing half of it back, down his throat. "Thanks," he began, and rubbed a calloused hand over his face as he looked at Lucas, before finally just coming out with the news. "I was out, walking my dogs earlier and I, well I saw a very large blond man lurking around here. I took the dogs back home, returned and he was still...waiting for you, he's from Denmark and he wants to hurt you. I warned him, defended you, but I'm certain he'll be back."

Lucas looked in alarm at Will, though he wasn’t surprised, he was sick to his stomach knowing that so quickly, he’d found his home. “Johan. Yes, h-he’s an old neighbor from back home. He came to see me at the store today and threatened me.  Didn’t expect him to find the house so soon, certainly not to find you, Will,” The Dane looked panic-stricken at Will. “I don’t know what to do. He wants to kill me. He admitted to the hunting accident be said this time he will not miss. You’re in danger just being near me,” Lucas said all in a rush, his voice getting higher pitched and tears gathering in his eyes.

"He may be a lot bigger than either of us, especially me, but Luke, I'm not in danger, and you won't be either, I won't let anything happen to you, or to us," Will said, and cupped Lucas' face, kissing him. "I worked for the FBI remember? I have, uh, _dealt_ with way worse men than him. Did you ever hear about the Red Dragon, or well, the Tooth Fairy as he was commonly known and how about the Minnesota Shrike? Maybe you haven't being in Denmark at the time but I brought them to _justice_ ," Will said, not telling all of his past, but maybe if he told his lover a little, it would put his mind at ease.

Lucas shook his head. “I don’t know who those are? But yes you did say you worked for the FBI, you were a cop,” he relaxed a little, remembering that. “So, you arrested them?” he asked, pouring them each some more liquor and walking into the living room with the bottle to take a seat on the sofa.

Will joined him, with his glass in hand and swirled the amber liquid in the tumbler, trying to decide how to answer. "What I did was profiling, I got into their heads, mostly at the scene of a crime. My job was to...think like they think, in order to figure out why they did what they did and what their next move was," he explained and took a tentative sip of his whiskey. "The Shrike, I had no choice but to shoot, he had killed his wife and had a knife to his daughter's throat. You see, he killed girls that looked like Abigail so he didn't have to kill her, but in the end he was...um...tipped off by another killer and well, long story short, none of the two aforementioned will be hurting anyone anymore..." With that, offered Lucas a nervous smile. "The point is, I won't let anything happen to you, I won't lose you. Can't."

Lucas’ eyes widened as he listened to Will. This young man was skilled, smart; it was more than he may have expected from him initially. “You sound like a good hunter, Will,” he chuckled. “I don’t want anything to happen to you because of me. Because of all this,” he said, taking the younger man’s hand and squeezing it.

Will was relieved that Lucas didn't try to get anymore information from him right now. Later, he'd have to sit him down, again, and tell him everything, but for now, he needed to attend to this man that was after Lucas. The brunet laughed, genuinely at that, and squeezed the Dane's hand back. "I suppose I am a bit of a hunter. Problem-solving is hunting, in a way, and that's what this is, a problem, one that needs to be solved. It will be though."

The older man focus his gaze on Will. “What do you mean by that? I…” he hesitated briefly, looking down. “I don’t know, Will. He did killed Fanny viciously, which I’ve never been able to forgive. An innocent animal, that’s...that’s a special kind of evil.” He shook his head as tears filled his eyes at the memory. “But I just wanted him to leave me alone. I don’t know why he’s gone through the trouble to follow me here, find me. This is a horrible situation. I don’t want you to get in trouble, Will…”

"What I mean is he'll be brought to justice, Luke," Will said, vaguely, and cupped his jaw. "For what that monster did to your dog and for what he did to you. He won't get the chance to finish his little game. You just need to trust me. I can deal with him." The statement was finished with a kiss, and then Will used his thick fingers to stroke Lucas' cheeks, catching a tear that fell. "I love you and no one is going to threaten to take you away without...consequences."

Lucas turned his cheek into Will’s palm and closed his eyes. “I trust you, Will. You have experience with these type of people and these things. Just...don’t get hurt. I...I love you, too,” he said, capturing the young ma’s rough palm and turning his lips into it to kiss the center.

Will took in a slow breath at that, and closed his eyes, seeing the murderer behind them, displayed like a penitent man, holding his heart in his hands to offer it up to Lucas in tribute. It was enough to make the younger man jerk away and snap his eyes open. He covered it up, by acting as though he was tickled by the kiss on his palm and smiled. "I won't, I promise, Luke."

Lucas stared curiously at Will, the way he twitched and his stormy blue eyes widened. There was so much going on behind that handsome but troubled face, and he wanted to know everything. Lucas was a simple man but perceptive too, and he knew it wasn’t just his kisses that made him startle. He left it alone for now though.

"I'm pretty starved though," Will said, rubbing his belly. "What are we having?" He kissed Lucas again, trying to make up for his weird behavior and then finished the rest of his whiskey. He wondered, inwardly, how this whole thing might change him, maybe Doctor Lecter had been right, this is who he was, to a degree. It would always come back to this. Murder. Blood. Violence.

Lucas rubbed his hands a bit sensuously over Will’s belly and smiled. “I made a venison chili out of the last of the deer, then I figured tomorrow we could have some more of the fish from the other day,” he grinned, pulling the lid off the slow-cooker in the corner. Spicey, rich aromas filled the kitchen as the man leaned in to kiss Will again and tried to push the thought of Johan out of his mind.

Will pulled his lower lip through his teeth at the touch before kissing Lucas back, wrapping both arms around his neck. "Good idea. It smells good, I wondered what you had brewing in there," he said, with a smile and then let him go so he could tend to their dinner. For now, the younger man was just going to enjoy time with his lover, he would deal with Johan soon enough. "I'll get the bowls and silverware down."

The Dane got their food plated; everything smelled delicious. Dinner passed uneventfully, though Lucas’ mind was preoccupied with thoughts of Johan, wondering if he’d come back, knowing he would, and hoping they’d be prepared when he did.

"That was good, thank you," Will said, leaning back in the chair at the table. Having had two bowls of the chili, with crackers. He too had thought about Johan through most of their meal, could feel Lucas' worry over it and knew that he would have take care of the situation sooner rather than later.

Will got up and took their bowls into the kitchen, putting them into the dishwasher and then touched Lucas' shoulder on his way to the couch. "C'mon, let's relax for a little bit, then I'll give you dessert."

Lucas finally released the stressful sigh he’d been holding back all night. “Dessert, huh?” He asked with a grin, slipping one arm around the young man’s waist. “That sounds tempting…”

"Well, it's rich, and decadent, but it can be addictive, you might find yourself wanting more and more," Will grinned, walking with Lucas to the couch and sat down, enjoying the feel of their closeness. It was something he'd never like with many others but with Luke it was absolutely perfect.

Lucas tilted his head and captured Will’s bottom lip between his own, humming in delight as he did. “You talking about yourself, or the dessert? Because....” he wrapped his hand more fully behind Will’s head, solidly gripping into his curls and holding him firmly. “Because...you….are _so_ addictive.”

Will responded by leaning down onto the couch on his back, and pulled Lucas with him, never breaking the kiss. He kissed the hunter with wild abandon, the thought of how he might feel if he ever lost him driving him to lustful desperation. "As you can tell, you are too," he grinned, and hooked his legs around the bigger man's waist, arching up into him as he delved back inside the hot cavern of Lucas' mouth.

There was a distinct change in the tone of Will’s body language that was not lost on Lucas.

A bold, heated fervor commanded his movements, in a dominant, purposeful way that aroused Lucas intensely. The air was charged with it as Will tugged him closer and Lucas tumbled down over him, dragged there by the insistent tug of younger man’s grip. “Glad you feel that way,” he whispered, nosing under the fisherman’s strong jawline and scraping his shark-like teeth over his adam’s apple. “I can’t seem to stop, and I don’t want to…”  

"I don't want you to stop," Will groaned, rutting up into Lucas in earnest as his neck was kissed. "Ever." He carded and tugged through the Dane's chestnut strands, keeping him there before pulling him back up to meet his lips. "So delicious, Luke...all mine," he growled, never wanting to lose the sweet man atop him, realizing just how madly in love he was with the other. He wanted to claim him, have all of him in a way that no one had ever before. "I wonder if you would...would you be okay if I, topped tonight?"

A ripple of excitement went through the Dane at Will’s question. “I never, well you know I never have, but I’d love to….I _want_ you to,” he admitted, reaching down to curve his large hand over Will’s erection. “You really want to do that to ...to me?” he asked.

"Yes," Will answered, with a shaky breath, "very much...s'long as you're comfortable with it." He pushed into Lucas' hand, and captured his mouth once more, his thick fingers digging into the Dane's strong back. He was so hard he could break concrete, the thought of being the first and the only inside of Lucas, it was almost enough to make him come then and there.  

The more Lucas rutted against the thick, warm hardness between Will’s legs, the more his own cock leaked. He arched his back into him, opening his mouth to him and exploring his mouth. “I’m more than comfortable with it, Will...I mean, I know you’ll prepare me...Oh _fuck_ , let’s go to the bedroom, _now,_ ” he said, springing up and pulling on Will’s hand.

Will followed, and grabbed Lucas as the walked, from behind to press against his ass. Once they were in the room, he pushed Lucas against the wall and started undoing his pants, hastily, his heart pounding hard with a ravenous hunger. "Fuck, Luke...I'll prepare you and go easy, until the time comes where I'll go hard..." he growled and licked down to the older man's pulse point, which he then bit, but didn't break skin, no matter how badly he wanted to.

Lucas felt himself practically blush like a schoolgirl at how aggressive Will was being. “You can be as rough as you want, allerkærest,” the Dane whispered, panting and tearing at Will’s clothes with an equal measure of urgency.

The way Lucas tore at him, the words he spoke in his native tongue, they all served to turned Will on even more, and by the time they finally were nude, he pushed the bigger man onto the bed and got in between his thighs. Crashing their lips together again, he bit the Dane's lower one a little too hard, drawing blood which suckled into his mouth, feeling hungrier than he'd felt for anyone. "Good...I want to tear you apart, know all of you," he groaned, swiveling his cock against Lucas, pressing it between the cleft of his ass.  

Lucas had never been with anyone this aggressive before, and he found he was enjoying it more than he ever thought he would. His heart pounded with a small measure of apprehension, not knowing how much pain there would be, but he trusted Will would guide him and honestly, he was too aroused by the handsome younger man to even think about looking back now.

Will certainly would be gentle with working him open, he wouldn't dream of actually hurting his lover, but he felt a fiery passion, one that threatened to burn him alive. The younger man reached over to get the lube from the nightstand, and sat back on his knees, slicking his fingers. Once he'd done that, he got down on his belly and looked at Lucas, taking his cock into his mouth right away, his finger tracing around the rim there.

Immediately all he felt was Will’s hot mouth, the wet heat surrounding him, and didn’t, at first, even feel his finger at his entrance. The older man had to ball his fists at his sides and focus to keep from bucking up into Will’s mouth, still not used to how intense and different and wholly perfect Will was at _that._ Far different from how any woman had ever been able to do it. More intense, intuitive and infinitely more pleasurable. “Oh yes, Will, please, please,” he begged quickly, trying to slow his breathing and pace himself.

Will looked up at Lucas, his eyes staring with a sultry, dark glint, one full of love as he gently pushed his finger in half way. He moaned around the Dane's cock as the rings gave way and opened for him, all but sucking his thick digit inside. He started to move it in and out, slowly, as his curls bounced from the bobbing of his head. He wanted Lucas to come undone, know pleasure like he'd never experienced before, and the younger man wanted it _all_ for himself.

Lucas felt the unexpected burn, but was so lost in the vibrations of the handsome young man’s mouth around his cock, he couldn’t form any coherent thought beyond knowing he wanted more. He pushed his hands into Will’s soft hair, encouraging his movements with deep gasps of pleasure. He finally opened his amber eyes, looking down at Will, his own puckered lips wet and parted in awe at the pleasure he was feeling. “Yes, oh yes, Will,” he finally whispered,nodding.

Taking him down to the hilt, his nose pressing into Lucas' furry mound, Will added a second finger, slowly. He popped off long enough, from the Dane's impressive cock, to lick his lips and catch his breath. "Let me know, if you need me to slow down or stop," he rasped, his voice husky from what he was doing. He took Lucas down again, hollowing his cheeks, his fingers curling to reach the almond shaped nub deep inside Lucas as he rutted his hips into the mattress.

The Dane felt an incomprehensible pleasure roll through his body at the touch of Will’s fingers, and the combination of that sensation along with the heat of his mouth had him reeling and writhing under the younger man. “For Helvede, god, FUCK,” he panted, his hips coming off the bed. “Oh God...Will that feels so good, Will, please more,” he begged.   

Wanting to work him open properly, Will added a third finger, and once he opened to it, the fisherman started to fuck him in earnest with his thick, calloused fingers. As he did, he sloppily slurped and sucked the Dane's cock, moaning as his hips swiveled and ground into the bed. He was getting precome all over the sheets and there was something so erotic about that. Taking a breath, his wrist working, he looked at Lucas, spit dripping in a line from his lips to the tip of the older man's dick and cleared his throat. "Ready for me to fuck you now?"

Lucas was incoherent, having never had any idea it would feel like _this_. Once the initial discomfort was gone, he felt ravenous, like he wanted more and more, and was rolling himself up and down on Will’s hand. He wanted to feel his cock and wanted it badly. “God, please, please fuck me, now,” he gasped out, his cock leaking copiously. “I need to feel you….” Lucas tugged at Will’s hair, pulling him up to lick his own clear fluid from the younger man’s swollen, full lips.

Will kissed him back, moaning into Lucas' mouth, having wanted his lover to be desperate for him. He pulled back, only long enough to slick up his cock and then was right back on top of the Dane. With a dark, sultry grin, he positioned his swollen cock head at the older man's winking hole. "You'll feel me, I'll open you up real good, Luke..." He started kissing the hunter's neck, to distract him from any pain, and slowly started to push in. About half way, he paused, arching a brow as he panted, "More?"

It was more, much more than the way his finger burned, everything in him stopping suddenly as he tried to relax. But the weight of the gorgeous man on top of him, and the delightful way he nipped at his neck, sent a wave of arousal over him. He shifted his thighs open a bit more, tipping his head back to expose his neck to Will. “More, yes….” he urged. “You feel….this feels incredible, Will,” he whispered.

"Good," Will breathed out, taking in a sharp, shaky breath, "It does, and so do you..." He pushed in further, slowly and to the hilt, kissing up to Lucas' mouth. He started to move in and out once he felt the Dane opening up for him like a gift, feeding from him. It was beautiful and it took all of Will's efforts not to come then and there, Lucas was so tight, so impossibly velvety and warm. He felt better than anything the teacher had ever experienced. With a groan, and a shift of his jaw, he built a steady, passionate rhythm. "Fuck..."

Lucas’ muscular ass tightened and flexed, relaxing and moving with Will, his hands moving down and cupping the soft, round globes to encourage him to move. “Go ahead, Will, fuck me,” he rasped, “You can...deeper,” the older man added, his jaw going slack as Will’s cockhead hit just the right spot.

Convinced that Lucas was ready, Will groaned and started to fuck him in earnest, his muscles shifting under his skin. He gripped the sheets and snapped his hips, driving in as deeply as he could go, balls slapping wetly. "Shit...Lucas-" he growled, diving back into the hollow of the Dane's neck where he bit, hard enough to leave one hell of a gnarly mark, claiming him in a sense. The thought of the other man that was coming for his boyfriend made him want to keep him safe. It came out in how he made love to the hunter, how each thrust was laced with love and possessiveness.

Will’s teeth on him made Lucas gasp, his grip sliding through the sweat beginning to form over the lean muscles of younger man’s back. He hitched up his legs, wrapping them around Will’s waist, arching into him to take every inch almost desperately. Every time Will bottomed out inside him, Lucas felt a shock of pleasure from the way he tapped against his prostate, something the Dane never had any idea he’d love like this. It felt like he was going to break apart from bliss, he drove him closer and closer to the brink. “Oh fuck, lort, for helvede, fuck,” Lucas growled, moaning against Will’s mouth, returning his biting kisses, the sounds of their harsh breathing and skin against skin filling the room.

The way Lucas was responding to him, had Will shaking with pleasure; he couldn't get enough of him and wanted to take him places he'd never been. Will took the older man's wrists and pinned them above his head, feeding and biting his lips, sucking his tongue. He was burning for Lucas, and each inward motion sent him close to the edge of blissful end. "You...fuck, you're so hot, so tight," he moaned, a drop of sweat from his brow falling down and onto the Dane's skin. “C’mon, come for me, I want _feel_ you come.”

Lucas looked up at Will helplessly, pupils wide and darkening his deep set brown eyes with lust.  His mouth hung open, full lips parted, and he licked them as he panted. “Touch me,” he begged, his cock jerking and bobbing, dripping clear pre come heavily from the red, swollen head. He knew in one stroke, he’d come immediately.

Will released Lucas' wrists and sat back on his knees, pulling the older man's legs up so he could wrap his strong arm around the Dane’s thighs. He angled forward, knowing he'd hit his lover's prostate even more precisely like that and with his other hand, gripped his cock. As he pistoned, violently into Luke, he deftly worked his shaft, up and down, a firm pressure as moans and grunts fell from the fisherman's lips. "Mm, oh yes, good, so good-"

“Oh Will, Will!” Lucas didn’t recognize the voice that came screaming from his own mouth in a flurry of guttural grunts as white, thick streams of come shot across his own belly, splashing over the younger man’s knuckles and up his chest. His body shook and convulsed from the rippling tremors of his orgasm.   

Seeing Lucas come undone like that, feeling his hot muscle clamp down on his cock, made Will lose it. He bucked wildly into the older man, and removed his come covered hand to lick it clean, all the while his gaze never strayed from those beautiful honeyed eyes. It was only a few more passes and he exploded, his ass muscles clenching as hips stuttered to the breaking point. The first wave was immense, and continued through to the third. Which is when he collapsed with a grunt atop Lucas' body and kissed him deeply, slowly, grinding in a circular fashion as their orgasm slowed to a stop. "Fuck, Luke...it was beautiful..."

Lucas had never fathomed seeing anyone devour his spend the way Will did, so hungrily, as though it were some delicious elixir. The combination of that followed by watching the breathtaking young man come apart himself was the most exquisite thing the Dane had ever seen. He held him, staring enraptured, and brought Will’s mouth down to crush into his own, licking the taste of himself and sucking it right off his tongue. It was spiritual, the way their bodies and hearts were entwined with one another so intricately. “Jeg Elsker dig, William,” Lucas panted.

Will panted into Lucas' mouth, breath hot and ragged; he was sated but still needy. He was learning that was simply the type of lover he was, or maybe it was just that he'd never loved another the way he loved the man he was kissing. It was as close to God as he'd ever felt. The younger man didn't need to understand the language to know what had been said, he could feel it radiating off of him in thick, beautiful waves. "I love you, Lucas," he murmured, his words punctuated with the soft sound of smacking, hands cupping his face.

Lucas searched Will’s face, seeing more there, feeling everything, hyper aware of the intimacy, the heat, the thickness of energy between them. It lay on his heart like a warm, heavy blanket, comforting, strong, and something he never thought he’d feel again. He held Will still, looking deep into his eyes, allowing the connection to linger, the charge between them undeniable. Softly, slowly, he descended again to Will’s mouth, kissing deeply, his tongue reaching every corner, languidly tasting everything Will had, offering himself to him in equal measure, giving in fully to showing, to demonstrating to the young man that he meant the words he’d said in his native language.

"Lucas-" Will breathed, looking at him from above before going back down to kiss him again. He couldn't stop, didn't want to, wanted to stay like this forever. Even as his cock softened and slipped out, come chasing it, he stayed. "You're mine, all mine, right?" he murmured, and then flitting his tongue along the part of Lucas' lips, as if he wanted to taste the word before it escaped from his mouth. Only briefly did his thoughts remind him of Johan, who was likely coming for his beloved, before snapping back to the present. The vile man would pay, with blood and breath and at Will's hands if he tried to harm _one_ hair on his boyfriend's head.

There was a storm behind the beautiful blue eyes that pierced through his own, looking into his soul, and Lucas couldn’t even begin to guess what was going on in the handsome young man’s head. All he could do was answer what was asked of him. “I am yours...who else’s could I possibly be? You’re all I have and all I want, Will. Only you…” he whispered, brushing damp curls off the fisherman’ forehead lovingly.

Will responded by kissing Lucas' brow, his cheekbone, and down again to his lips. "And I'm yours, we belong to one another, always." He smiled at the Dane, sharing breath and taking him in, appreciating his handsome features, his heart, his soul. It was entirely profound and shook him to his very core. He wasn’t a romantic man, by any means, but he appreciated such things and was very much in love. Once again, he thought of the earlier encounter, with Johan, and licked his lips, speaking next in a whisper, "Come stay at my cabin tonight, please, we could go there after dinner, see the dogs."

Lucas nodded in agreement. After the encounter with Johan at the store, he was shaken up, and if he knew where he lived, it might not be entirely safe for either of them here. The older man kissed him open mouthed, tasting him, overwhelmed with love, with everything he felt for the empath. “I don’t want to put you at risk, Will, but perhaps it would be safer there. You have more experience here...I just...I’m worried. I’m not sure how far Johan will go. He came all this distance.” Lucas furrowed his brow.

Will slid over to the side of Lucas, propping his head up on his elbow and palm. "He won't be able to go to far," he said, almost a bit too darkly, his jaw shifting. He took a breath and then leaned in to kiss Lucas again, brushing the hair from his eyes. "My place is...yes, much better, he shouldn't think to look there." But Will wasn't sure of that, he might have seen the direction he came from, or could follow them, either way he'd be ready. “Don’t worry, Luke.”

Lucas hadn’t seen this side of Will before, an unfamiliar glint in his eyes, a type of darkness that made his heart skip a beat. It was undeniably sexy but made him wonder what exactly the young man meant, and made him very glad Will was protecting him. It also made him realize he was much more than met the eye, a formidable force, likely the reason he had made a good cop. Ultimately he trusted Will; he trusted him with his life.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~Det forstår jeg ikke…?? Hej = I don’t understand, hi  
> ~Hej, Lucas, Hvordan har du det = Hi, Lucas, How are you?  
> ~allerkærest = most treasured  
> ~helvede= hell  
> ~Jeg Elsker dig= I love you


	7. Chapter 7

After they had dinner, Lucas and Will walked to his cabin, holding hands and chatting along the way. The urge to pin the older man against a tree was immense, but now wasn't the time. When they reached his door, he walked in, his two dogs circling his feet and then Lucas'. "Hey guys," Will smiled, kneeling down to pet each one in equal measure. He looked up at Lucas with a warm gleam in his eyes, gesturing for him to come on in and lock up. 

Lucas crouched down to greet the furry animals, immediately taking to them; he certainly loved dogs, and they seemed to love him right away too. He found them to be perceptive and loving in a way humans often missed, Will being the one big exception to that rule. He finally stood and looked around Will’s home -  it was cozy and simple, very much like his own cabin. “Well, I can see how very much alike we really are. It’s nice,” he smiled. “And I love your dogs. What are their names?”

Will stood, and smiled at Lucas, watching as he took in his cabin. Over the past few weeks, they'd spent all their time at the Dane’s cabin, but for whatever reason, hadn't made it to his own, and as the dogs were new to his family, they hadn't met his boyfriend yet. "We are, Luke," he said, sighing happily as he scratched his stomach. "Thank you, they like you too. Luna is the husky and Duke is the lab," he said, smiling as they tilted their heads at hearing their names.

Lucas walked around the room, moving to a small, modest looking piano in the corner, running his fingers over the keys. “I didn't know you played,” he said with a smile. Realizing there was still so much yet he had to learn about the young man, he was excited at the prospect, and he wanted to learn everything there was to know about his new love. He moved closer to Will and slipped his arms around his waist to kiss the side of his neck softly.

"My ability to play is debatable," Will said with a chuckle, scratching his beard and humming at the kiss. He wrapped his arms around Lucas' shoulders, nuzzling into to him, and taking in his scent. Now, he was the one smelling somebody, but it was difficult to avoid; the older man's aroma was intoxicating, warm and woodsy, all of which were things that made the ex-agent feel comforted. "Whiskey, before bed?" he asked, arching a brow, usually having two fingers before sleep, himself.

Lucas was looking forward to sleeping in Will’s bed, hoping Johan wouldn't find them, and they could have some peace and quiet. “Yes, I’d love that,” he replied, rubbing his hand over Will’s lower back warmly.

Will nodded, looking at Lucas through his lashes as he walked them over to the bar. He pulled out two tumblers and the whiskey, and filled their glasses, handing one to his lover first. "To...us," he said and held it up ceremoniously, a coy grin spreading over his face. 

Lucas took the glass from Will and touched them together in toast. “To us, yes. Skål,” he said, waiting for Will to take a sip and joining him. He became entranced by his beloved’s eyes, lost in them, like the bottomless, tumultuous ocean, full of passion and emotion. He returned Will’s smile, his eyes crinkling at the corners warmly.

"Cheers," Will said and then downed the whiskey, returning his eyes to Lucas'. Never before had he met a man who was so warm and unconditionally giving and loving as the man in front of him was. "Just...uh, let me take out the dogs, and we can get in bed," the younger man whispered, and then leaned in to suck the older man's lower lip into his mouth, tasting the whiskey there.

Lucas nodded and walked to the fireplace, stoking the flames. “Should I join you?” he asked, bending down and moving the logs around with the poker.

Will rubbed a hand over his face, his jaw clenching as he stared at Lucas' muscular ass. He wanted him to come, but feared it might be too dangerous. "No reason to drag you back out, I'll be quick," he answered. "Make yourself at home though."

Lucas finished tending the fire and stood, draining his drink. He picked up his bag and walked into the bedroom, peeling off his shirt and trousers, stripping down to his boxers in preparation for bed.

The Dane wandered into the bathroom to brush his teeth and when Will still hadn’t come back in, he made his way back into the living room, looking around in concern. “Will…?”

When he didn’t see the young man in the living room, he threw his jacket on and boots wandered out the front door, looking for Will, his path illuminated only by the moonlight. “Will?” he called out quietly.

Just then a shadowy, large figure stepped out from beside the house. “Lucas,” the voice said, the unmistakable accent of his old neighbor, Johan.

“Johan,” Lucas replied, not entirely surprised to see him, though he had hoped it would not be so soon. He was suddenly quite glad Will was nowhere to be found.

From the darkness he saw the big man level a gun at him, and a sinking weight fell to the pit of his stomach. “I’ve come to end this now, Lucas. End your sickness, end the terror you’ve inflicted on so many, end the hell you’ve put us all through, end your filthy misery,” the man said with an air of finality in his voice.

Tears filled Lucas’ eyes, the look of a man who’d long since accepted his fate. At least his final days on earth had been happy, at least he’d known love in the arms of his Will. “Just please leave Will alone, Johan, promise me that. It’s all I ask, please,” he begged, falling to his knees on the ground, pleading.

With the dogs off in another direction, distracted, Will had followed the sound of voices that were coming in the direction his cabin. When he stealthily approached, he saw Lucas on his knees and heard his words spoken, most importantly, he saw the gun trained on his lover.  The cunning man sprung into action, pulling out his knife and opening it with a flick of his wrist before charging towards the big Dane. Deftly, he plunged the knife deep inside, between Johan’s ribs, effectively disarming him of the gun. The surprise attack gave the empath the upper hand and he quickly picked it up, releasing the clip, and throwing the empty weapon into the brush.

After that, Will steeled himself, blood already dripping from his body where it had sprayed out and started to cover him.  He had a feral look in his blue eyes, as he crouched, much like a wolf before jumping it’s prey. As the big man staggered, Will tackled him to the ground, punching him repeatedly and releasing all of his fury, all of his repressed emotions. The man seemed to morph into Hannibal, briefly, in Will’s mind, and he hit harder, the sound of his fists cracking bone and hitting skin wetly, filling the otherwise peaceful, wooded area.

Lucas watched, eyes wide in shock as Will seemed to come from nowhere, leaping from the darkness and descending on Johan like a feral animal. It all happened so fast, his enemy’s blood gleaming black in the moonlight, splattered across the earth like thick splotches of oil. He fell backwards in surprise, but quickly scrambled to his feet, stumbling towards his lover to see if he could help, though it was quickly evident that wasn’t needed. The man’s guts lay strewn over the ground around Will, and Luna and Duke seemed calm, hanging behind Lucas. He approached Will, unable to believe what he saw; he’d been ready to die only moments before, now the man who’d threatened his life lay gutted like a deer on the ground and Will knelt over him, covered in his blood, a wild, animalistic look in his eyes. It was unrecognizable and yet there was something there that made Lucas’ heart pound, made the blood in his ears roar, set him ablaze. “...Will…” was all he could manage to say, the name on his lips whispered almost in reverent awe.

The voice of his boyfriend was enough to snap him from his assault on what was now the dead body of Johan, and he looked up, shaking and trembling from the rush. Sweaty curls hung into his eyes as his gaze flitted over the crime scene, to his hands and then back to Lucas. "Are you, are you okay, Luke?" he whispered, his tone breathy and husky. He got off of the body, and extended his blood covered hand to gain help with standing, not trusting his legs at that moment. "I..." he trailed off not certain how the sweet Danish man would take a sight such as this.

Lucas reached for him, extending his hand to support his weight, and pulled him closer, not caring for the mess at all. As he cupped the younger man’s jaw in one hand, blood smeared beneath his thumb and he looked deep into Will’s eyes, darker than he’d ever seen before. “I’m alive, thanks to you. Never seen anything like that before. You’re so beautiful,” he whispered, gaze fixed on the empath’s crimson lips in that moment, exhaling heavily.

Will wrapped both arms around him, gazing back into Lucas' eyes and licked his lips, tasting a bit of blood there. "It is...beautiful," he murmured, and leaned in to kiss the Dane, needily, his chest rising and falling, pressing into the hunter with each inhalation of breath through flared nostrils. The adrenaline that surged through his body, only added to his arousal, his cock pressing into the other. "I wouldn't let anyone take you from me..."

Lucas was achingly hard inside his thin boxers, his body stiffening against the fabric. But for the underwear and his boots, he was naked beneath his coat, having only put on enough to go outside, but he suddenly felt too warm all at once. He’d never seen anything as arousing as the wild looking young man before him, looking every bit like an apex predator having killed with barely more than his own hands. “So powerful,” he whispered, pushing Will against the tree behind him and capturing his mouth hard, his tongue sliding into Will’s insistently.

Before Will knew it, he was up against that tree, clutching desperately to Lucas' shoulders, he kissed him back, and hooked a leg around his hip before tugging off his jacket to expose his bare torso. He'd never felt so on fire in his life, so hungry. "Shit, Lucas," he growled, and gripped the older man's ass to pull him even closer, leaving no space between them. "Fuck me-"

The words sounded raw and desperate, and matched the intensity with which Will met Lucas’ kisses. The Dane began tearing off Will’s shirt, ripping buttons off and smearing the sticky blood of his kill across his bare chest as he pushed it to the ground. He pressed his hips against Will, letting him feel the outline of his hard length, seeking friction against the smaller man and grinding into him. “Oh god, yes, Will, fuck,” he whispered, scraping his teeth over the pulse of his neck.

Will's hand went into Lucas' hair, and held him over his neck, needing to feel those teeth. He canted his head to the side, and scratched up the Dane's back, leaving pink trails in his wake as he writhed wantonly. "Bite me," he commanded, though not unkindly, he just needed him more than he needed anyone or anything. "C'mon, Lucas, please-" he begged, arching a brow, his own cock protruding obscenely.

The way Will grabbed Lucas, the way he looked at him, there was a wildness in his voice and eyes that sparked something inside, something he’d never felt before. He yanked on the zipper of Will’s jeans, pulling them down and off his legs, leaving them discarded in a pile of clothes beside the tree. The man who’d tried to kill him lay only a few feet away, and yet all Lucas could see was Will, dirty and feral like an animal, covered in sweat and blood. The older man shoved Will against the tree and yanked his curls back, exposing his throat to bared teeth, gleaming white in the darkness. Something he’d never thought to do before, but what Will asked, and what he wanted now - he sank his canines into the side of the younger man’s neck with a low growl, sucking hard as he felt the tissue give way to coppery beads of warm blood that trickled down onto his tongue.

"Fuck!" Will groaned, loudly, with a feral tinge to his voice, it was almost like a howl as he arched into the normally passive man. He had no doubts that Lucas was strong, of course, but he had to admit this side of him was incredibly irresistible. Tugging him up, he met his lips, crashing them together for a bloody kiss. Tongue and teeth collided and danced, the sound of crickets and frogs being the only other apart from their breathing and heated smacking. "Lucas, oh shit, you need to fuck me now-"

Lucas laved his tongue over the wound on Will’s neck before pulling him to the ground. Clutching the younger man’s jaw, he licked into his mouth, Will’s blood still on his tongue, and groaned as he pushed his thighs apart, sliding their cocks together roughly. There was nothing out here to use, nothing to ease passage; Lucas didn’t want to hurt Will, but he was frantic and desperate, and spit in his palm in an effort to try and slick himself up as best he could. “Fuck, Will, I can’t…” he whispered, but when he looked in Will’s eyes, what he saw was a beast, raw lust, want and need.

As Will lay on the ground, he watched Lucas, his chest rising and falling raggedly. So sweet, was the Dane, so considerate, that he was sacrifice his pleasure so that he wouldn't hurt the fisherman. He licked his lips and kissed him again. "Do it, Luke, fuck me hard," he rumbled, arching his hips up, wantonly. He needed to be fucked, here, in the wild, after a fresh kill-- retribution. There was nothing he wanted more in this moment, than to join with his lover, meld their passions together and be as one. "I'll be fine..."

Lucas dragged his nails over Will’s chest, leaning forward to suck hard on his nipple, licking over it and biting down roughly. He fisted his hand over himself several times, spitting into his palm again, letting the saliva run over his thick fingertips as he pressed the pads over Will’s twitching hole. He panted against the younger man’s neck as he pushed two fingers inside him; even if he didn’t have lube, he could at least ease him open first with his hands. “Like this…Will….”

Will groaned, his calloused hand carding through Lucas' chestnut strands. He was awake and alive, every nerve in his body singing with rapt attention. "Like that, oh fuck, just like that," he moaned, grunting pleasurably when the Dane's fingers pressed against his prostate. Panting and cock leaking, he gazed down at the older man, watching as he worked him open, skin flushed and heat spreading. "Perfect-"

The Dane curled his fingers just so, muscled forearms holding himself up over his beloved’s body as he rocked his fingers in and out a bit faster and deeper until he was sure Will was relaxed enough to take his body more easily. Moving back to his mouth, Lucas bit against Will’s lips viciously as he stroked himself and entered him roughly, gasping his name and a string of curses as he did. “Fuck, Will, For helvede, oh Will…”

"Shit-" Will moaned, his eyes fluttering shut, breathing heavily over Lucas' mouth. He clutched to the older man's well muscled back, feeling the muscles ripple under taut tawny skin, legs hiking around the backs of his thighs. He saw stars behind closed eyes before opening them up to make eye contact, feeling all too pulled in. It was exquisite, their coupling, and more phenomenal than he'd ever thought possible. "So good, fuck, harder-"

Lucas rolled into the smaller man, encouraged by the way he could feel Will’s body melt beneath him, molding to accommodate his generous girth. His thrusts grew erratic, arms braced on either side of his head, sweat dripping from his temples down his tanned neck. He was beyond words, ferocious and rabid, and the intensity in Will’s eyes swallowed him whole,caught and captured his soul irrevocably.

Will marveled at how Lucas looked god-like there above him, how utterly sexy he was sweating and bucking, finding pleasure because of  _ him _ . The younger man let his fingers explore, walking down the viking's back, to his round, muscular ass where the ex-profiler gripped and dug his nails in with a roar. He couldn't speak either, all he could do was feel, bask and make inhuman guttural sounds of sheer ecstasy.

The Dane had never fucked anyone with this kind of desperate hunger in his life, pounding into Will violently. Somewhere in his mind he knew they were both going to end up bruised and cut from the vigorous, rough coupling, but he didn’t even care, all he knew was there was a bottomless well of need and desire for this handsome young man that he was starving for. He canted his hips, deliberately shifting himself in a way he knew always made Will’s eyes roll back, made those beautiful lips part and made him howl.

"Fuck!" Will howled, doing just as Lucas had anticipated, the sensation of his prostate being tapped over and over again driving him closer to release. His grunted and growled, leaning his head up to bite into his lover's chest, over his heart, claiming it for his own for all time. Before Lucas, Will had not been in such need of the carnal, not sexually speaking, but now, he couldn't get enough. He craved him all of the time.

Lucas cried out at the brutal bite, though after the initial shock of the pain subsided, he gripped Will’s head, crushing him to chest hard and holding him there. He pumped faster into Will, sweat covering his muscular ass in a glistening sheen as he felt his balls draw up and his climax threaten to spill. “Oh fuck, fuck Will, Will, Will,” he gasped, before sinking his teeth in even deeper, piercing the skin between the younger man's neck and shoulder, his jaw clamping down hard as though something entirely inhuman had possessed him.

Will gazed at Lucas, at his masterful beauty and moaned again and again, his own release promising to spill. When his skin was pierced, the younger man roared with delight. Fingers dug into the Dane's back, hard enough to break skin before sliding up to sweaty hair to keep him in place. "Oh shit, fuck, yes Lucas, just like that," he groaned, feeling their shared enjoyment and feral passion. A few more presses to his almond shaped nub and he was coming, milky nectar bursting from the swollen tip and in between them. "Lucas-!"

Working from the base of his shaft and pulsing all the way up the tip, Lucas’ come shot up as he pummeled Will, every thick, veiny inch throbbing and issuing forth his seed in a violent eruption. Blood and sweat mingled as one on his tongue as he grunted and cried out, his vision going white at the edges, holding on for dear life through his climax. His hands slipped across Will’s slickened back and chest, gripping him tight. “William…” he gasped out, letting his body finally relax on the soft earth beneath them as he tried to catch his breath.

Will shuddered, his breath shaky as he wrapped his limbs around Lucas’ body in turn, desperately. The feeling he’d felt as their bodies had melded together as one through the waves of their shared release rang through the halls of his very own memory palace. He smiled and kissed his boyfriend sweetly, the adrenaline long gone and all that was left was them, their powerful connected and two hearts beating as one. "I love you, Luke..."

Lucas kissed Will, limbs entwined around him, his breath syncing with the empath’s. “I love you…”

After a few minutes, sweat began to chill on their skin, and Lucas knew they needed to get rid of the body. He wondered if Johan had told anyone what he was doing - but if he had come there with the intent to kill him, he doubted he had. Still, they needed to be careful. Fortunately, he had faith Will would know what to do.

Will kissed Lucas again and stood up, looking back at the corpse as he rubbed a hand over his face before turning to the Dane. "Do you have any lye by chance?" he asked, thinking he might. "We'll need to bury him, then pour the lye over him to...insure there is no evidence, but I doubt anyone really knows he's here, and certainly not his purpose. Could be tied back to us though, so we'll need to be...cautious." He reached down and picked up his clothing, starting to get redressed.

Lucas got to his feet and picked up his clothes as well. “In the work shed, yes, from the store. Shovel and wheelbarrow too. You stay here, I’ll get everything, and I should uhh, get some pants,” he added with a sheepish smile, tugging his boots on.

"If you must," Will quipped, coyly, arching a playful brow as watched Lucas tug on his boots. "A tarp if you have one, or a sheet, to wrap this big son of a bitch up and keep the blood as contained as possible." Honestly, he hated that his beloved had to help him with such a task, not that he thought him incapable but more that he didn’t want to drag him into his world. A world of blood and death, one he’d known for far too long and had grown comfortable with. “Thank you,” he added.

Lucas smiled warmly and set about inside, quickly finding his jeans and then making his way to the shed. He located the tools and tarp and got back to Will within a matter of minutes.

The older man helped where he could, and frankly he expected to be more shocked, however the truth was this man had killed his dog in cold blood and terrorized him, not to mention attempted to outright murder him and threatened his love. It had come down to a matter of life or death.

He hadn’t yet fully processed what he’d seen Will do, however, though he’d clearly found it to be incredibly arousing somehow.

Will, with Lucas' assistance, dug the hole and buried the body, covering it with lye and covered it up. After about an hour of hard work and sweat, the woods were clean and there was not even a hint of what had occurred detectable.

Walking back towards Will's cabin, the dogs trotting alongside them, the younger man looked over at Lucas and gave him a smile. "I think a nice shower, and some sleep is in order."

Lucas was exhausted after everything that had happened, and wiped his face with his dirt-stained hand. “Agreed. We’re both filthy, and I think I could sleep for days. Let’s get cleaned up. Strip down by the door, I can burn our clothes in the fire pit out back tomorrow night.” He opened a fresh trash bag and left it beside the back door, taking off his clothes and leaving them inside to make sure anything that had DNA could be burned later.

"I was going to suggest that, good," Will nodded, quite exhausted as well. "I'm...sorry you had to see that, but I'm not sorry that you're safe, or how it turned out," he added, as he took off his clothing and put it into the bag. The dogs sniffed at the clothing, and Will gently moved them away, the drying blood on his flesh still appearing quite black. "Need to feed them before we sleep though."

Lucas touched Will’s bare skin tenderly. “I’ll hang the bag up out of the way so they don’t get into it - why don’t you feed them and I’ll get the shower warmed up, ok?”

Will smiled, and leaned in to capture Lucas' mouth for a kiss, wrapping his arms around his neck with appreciation. "Thank you, Luke," he whispered, and stroked his cheek before kissing him again. "I'll go go do that."

The fisherman let him go and then walked towards the front door, bare ass flexing as he did. Once inside, started getting the dogs food ready.

Lucas admired Will as he walked away, and then did as he promised, hanging their clothes up on a hook. He headed to the bathroom and got the shower going for them, climbing in and starting, washing the dirt and blood from his aching body. Soon, Will joined him, doing the same and enjoying the closeness and comfort of the warm soothing water.

After the much needed shower, they climbed into bed, wrapped up in each, totally and utterly in love as they two men drifted off into peaceful slumber.


	8. Chapter 8

As the weeks passed, the besotted couple grew even closer, falling more in love every day. Thankfully they'd gotten away with Will's crime of passion, and no one was the wiser. Will had just gotten home from work and was waiting for Lucas to come to his place for their ritual dinner. He had a surprise for his boyfriend, one he was hopefully Lucas would like, and sat on the couch as he looked eagerly at the clock. 

Lucas had become used to their lovely habit of trading evening meals off at each other’s homes, and as he entered Will’s living room, he thought he sensed something was different. He looked around and heard a rustling, and spotted Will on the sofa with an impish grin on his face. “Hej, elskede, what’s going on?”

Will stood up, and walked over to Lucas, pecking him on the lips, a golden cocker spaniel puppy in his arms. "I hope you don't mind, Luke, but this little one just needed a home and I thought about you..." he smiled, the puppy stretching his neck to try to smell the Dane, tail wagging as the Will's dogs crowded around their feet, sniffing.

Lucas smiled wide as he looked at the sweet little animal, and he reached out to pet it, scratching it’s ears. Will couldn’t have known his beloved Fanny was a similar breed, and the older man couldn’t help the tears that sprang to his eyes. This pup was so sweet and excited to see him, and he took it from Will to hold it. “Boy or girl? What’s it’s name?”

"A girl," Will said, smiling warmly at his beloved. He couldn't resist leaning forward to kiss his high cheekbone, and then his lips. The younger man was delighted to see how happy Lucas was, it was the reaction he'd hoped for. "You'll have to name her, I just thought, since...well that you could use the company when I'm not around, that and my dogs will have another playmate." 

“I’m no good with coming up with names. Perhaps Daisy?” He joked, nuzzling the pup who’s tail seemed to wag even more enthusiastically as he held her. “She’s beautiful, Will. Thank you so much,” he added, leaning closer to the young man to kiss him.

"Daisy seems like a good name," Will chuckled, and patted her head, scratching behind her ears as the other dogs watched at their feet. He kissed Lucas back, and licked his lips to taste the residual flavor there, humming. "You're welcome. She's a good girl, and I was glad to be able to rescue her for you... _ us _ ."

“It means so much to me that you thought of me like this, Will.” The older man set Daisy down on the sofa and pulled Will into more encompassing embrace. “I love you so much…”

"There's...nothing I wouldn't do for you," Will said, wrapping his arms around the Dane's strong, muscular back, rubbing it with loving appreciation. "I love you too, I couldn't survive ever losing you."

“Nor I, you. I’m...I’m so relieved we can put all that shit from my past behind us now, and move on. Nothing to get in our way anymore from having a beautiful future together, right?” Lucas said, his hands rubbing down the sides of Will’s body, massaging deeply.

Will thought back to Hannibal then, knowing he had yet to tell his boyfriend anything about him, or about his past beyond what Lucas had seen when he'd murdered Johan. He pushed it back; if he didn't talk about Hannibal, it was like he didn't exist, and couldn't harm them, or their perfect utopia they'd built here. "Precisely, Luke, just you, me, and the dogs," he murmured, grasping his jaws and leaning into for another languid kiss.

***

The next day, Will went to work, teaching class as usual, and once they were dismissed, sat at his desk. He had his glasses on while he graded papers, finding his thoughts drifting back to Lucas. He was thinking about him so much so that he shot him a quick text to say he missed him. He found he was more open with Lucas, more expressive than he'd ever been. It was also that the empath had a swirling sense of something in his gut, something unsettling, though he couldn't quite place it.

A strange man entered the classroom. Older, distinguished, polished, wearing a pair of wool dress slacks, crimson cashmere sweater and tweed sport coat, far too nicely dressed for this rural part of the state though it was clear this was an attempt to dress “down”. The sharp clipped sound of dress shoes against polished linoleum echoed across the now emptied room.

“Hello, Will.”

Will had heard the shoes, as he put his phone into his pockets, but didn't look up, not until he heard that voice. It was smooth and deep, rich like honey, and he instantly felt lightheaded as he looked up and saw him. "H-annibal?!" he said, as if he was asking a question he already, most assuredly knew the answer to.  _ Oh shit, fuck, why now? _ he thought to himself. "What are you doing here?" he asked, genuinely as took in a shaky breath.

“Glad to see you survived as well,” the doctor replied, a surprisingly tart, sarcastic tone to his voice. “You’re a difficult man to find, but fortunately I am a resourceful one with unending patience, as you certainly know.” He moved closer to the desk, hands folded across his torso easily and a small, polite smile on his face.

Had this been months ago, Will's reaction would have been vastly different, but now he was with Lucas, he loved him, and he couldn't help but feel a staggering sense of concern at the arrival the doctor. When Hannibal approached, Will stood, straightened his glasses and walked around to face him. He mirrored his posture, to a degree, and then laughed, wryly. "You would have  _ known _ I'd survived, had you not left me on that beach,  _ Doctor Lecter _ ."

Hannibal arched his brow. “Back to calling me that again, I see. I’ve lost first name privileges. Didn’t what we shared that night mean anything to you Will? You saw what I saw too, how beautiful it all was. You finally saw, Will, the true beauty of your real nature.”

"You lost the privilege when you deserted me," Will sighed, rubbing a hand over his face, under his glasses. Hannibal just had to come back, here, and now. It was typical that anytime he obtained the smallest bit of happiness, that the doctor would come back, and try to take it away. "It was never my nature, it was...a profound feeling of justice and I would think that pulling us over the cliff would have been an indication of how much it meant."

“Did you really imagine I wouldn’t find you, Will? As profoundly as we changed one another, as deeply entwined as we’d become, so symbiotic, that we’d disconnect? Or ever truly separate? I’ve found you again, and now we will be together again forever, as we should have from the beginning, Will Graham.” Hannibal rounded the corner of the desk to close the distance between them, placing a hand on his shoulder.

Will wondered if Hannibal was closing in to smell him, wondered if he would detect the pine, the dogs, and maybe even Lucas. He could not let the ripper near his boyfriend. The touch was like fire on his skin, and he swallowed thickly, looking up into those familiar, dangerous eyes and yet he felt no love for the man in front of him, only a seething resentment. He brushed the older man's hand away and stepped to the side, starting to pace with his hands tight in his pockets. "You wasted your time, I'm afraid, Doctor. What might have been once, is no longer, and your teacup will not come back together again," he said, with an annoyed laugh, his tone sarcastic. "Now if you'll excuse me..."

Hannibal sniffed, inhaling all the scents accompanying him as he neared the young man, and withdrew as Will seemed to recoil, cocking his head in curiosity. “Your predilections have changed. I always thought you were lying to yourself when you chose Molly, Alana, even Margot. I must say though, it’s a disappointment to know you looked elsewhere. I’d hoped...William…” he stepped back, his eyes damp with emotion. His voice cracked slightly, as though he hoped to gain Will’s sympathy.

Will turned and looked at Hannibal, and rubbed his hand over his throat, leaning against the desk. "My...predilections, are without the confinement of titles and stereotyping," he said, with a sigh as he removed his glasses to put them into his coat pocket. "And you're really reaching, Doctor, pretty cavalier, even for _ you. _ You were supposed to die with me, or we would have survived together, but guess what? I am surviving and thriving just fine in my new life."

“And does he know  _ everything  _ about you, Will? Has he seen the beast lurking within you, the beauty of the full force of your power, does he know exactly what you’re capable of? I doubt whatever backwoodsman you’re bedding is aware of who you really are Will. He doesn’t know you like I do.” Hannibal, clenched his jaw and circled the desk again to the opposite side, raising his eyes to meet the younger man’s gaze evenly.

A storm began to brew when Hannibal spoke of Lucas, and lightning flashed in Will's eyes. He wouldn't say too much, not wanting to give the killer anything to go on. "I'm sorry, is this a therapy session, Doctor?" Will spat, crossing his arms over his chest as he glared at Hannibal. "Or are you displaying a fit of petty jealousy based on assumptions? Very unbecoming."

“Soon enough he will see who you are and realize he’s in over his head. And you will look for me, Will. You may think you won’t, but you will.” Hannibal turned on his heel to begin to walk out.

Will caught up to Hannibal and gripped his arm. "Do not try to take him from me, Hannibal. I'm warning you," he said, trembling with a dark rage. Not at all afraid of the monster before him, all he knew was he would not lose Lucas.

Hannibal looked down at the hand on his arm and back up at Will. “I don’t need to do anything at all, William. You’ll lose him all by yourself. All he will need to do is look at you, and see what I see right now. See what you do, when you look in the mirror. What is beauty to me will surely be horror to him. How long do you think you can carry on the lie?” He shrugged his arm out of Will’s grasp roughly, freeing himself. “Goodbye, Will.” he said, mirroring much of the same tone and language Will himself had so many years ago, when he’d visited him at the BSHCI.

Will thought about asking Hannibal if it was good to see him, just to be a smart ass since they were playing that game apparently, but didn't. He mostly just wanted him gone. "Goodbye, Doctor Lecter," he said, and spoke nothing further, sighing heavily at the very tense situation. The first thing he would do was go find Lucas and quickly.

Hannibal left, heels clicking sharply on the tile, disappearing out the door like smoke in the night.

***

Lucas had a hectic day at the store and was just eager to get home and see Will. He’d made some flavorful venison tenderloin and was preparing it on the grill, having just poured himself a bit of whiskey, waiting for Will to come over for dinner. He had the sleeves of his plaid shirt rolled up, and wiped his hands on a kitchen towel he had hanging off the belt loop of his blue jeans.

He took a sip from his drink and heard a knock on the door. Lucas frowned as he set the glass down; no one ever just came out to visit him, not all the way out here. Cautiously, he walked to the door, peeking out the window before answering it.

Strangely, a tall, finely dressed man stood there, and so Lucas opened the door. When he saw the man’s face, his jaw dropped in shock. Wordlessly he stood in the doorway, hands dropped to his sides.

“Lucas Dittman? I’m Hannibal. Hannibal Lecter.” The man looked inside with a curious, friendly smile. “May I come in?”

Lucas continued to stare, finally stepping aside. The man that stood before him was his near mirror image: refined, clean shaven, well-coiffed, polished, styled, handsome, better-looking, shoulders back and carrying himself with the confident posture of a wealthy man who had never been questioned, and was used to taking command of every situation he was in.

Hannibal stood watching the Dane with an amused smirk, waiting for him to speak. When Lucas finally found his tongue again, he could barely find the words to express himself. “How...How do you know me? Who are you? How…?”

“We have a mutual interest, Lucas. Will Graham. Do you really think an extraordinary creature like Will would take an interest in a common man like you by random chance?” Hannibal asked, striding in and looking around. He wrinkled his nose as though smelling something incredibly unpleasant, turning and stalking towards him with narrowed eyes. “William is mine. Was and  _ still is _ mine, and I am here to take him home.”

Lucas stumbled backwards until his back hit the wall, eyes smarting with tears and his heart pounding loudly in his ears. “Why the hell do you look like me? What the fuck is the meaning of this?”

“Unlucky coincidence, or lucky, depending on how you look at it. You may have fond memories of your last few weeks with him. Mine, however, has not been a fleeting, meaningless dalliance. What I have with William is true, everlasting, unquenchable love, an intense connection that happens once in a lifetime. He is my soul mate, Lucas. We cannot control with respect to whom we fall in love, you know.”

Lucas charged towards Hannibal suddenly, landing a punch against his cheek, and the more refined man didn’t attempt to dodge him. “You son of a bitch, I don’t know what you’re playing at, but you’re not...you’re lying,” Lucas spat out.

Hannibal shook his head and backed away from Lucas, sniffing. “I’m not lying, I assure you. Let me ask you, Lucas, has he shown you his true nature yet? Have you seen his beast? Have you yet seen him kill? He has a thirst for it you know. Until you’ve seen him sate it, you won’t know him.”

Lucas roared and leapt upon the other man, taking him to the floor and landing on top of him, but Hannibal quickly wrestled the Dane to his back, pinning his wrists down and landing several vicious, cutting blows to his face. Blood gushed freely from Lucas’ nose and his eye began to blossom purple and swell shut before he was finally able to land a kick to the doctor’s pelvis. As he doubled forward, Lucas head butted Hannibal hard, and the resulting impact disoriented him enough to allow Lucas to get up and haul the other man out the door.

Hannibal stopped Lucas, straightening up and pulling out a handkerchief from his sport coat pocket with an unnecessary flourish. Blood stained his sharp, shark-like teeth. “Will is not who you think he is. You’re a poor imitation for me, Lucas. I am his first and  _ only _ love, as you can clearly see, he is only using you because he thought he’d lost me. When he sees I am here for him, he’ll leave you,” he sneered, before turning on his heel to leave.

Lucas stared after him, blood dripping down his face, tears filling his eyes as he watched in disbelief as the man left. The pain in his chest left him feeling like he couldn’t breathe, gutted, enraged, and heartbroken. He stumbled back into the house, not even bothering to close the door behind him, and collapsed to the floor bereft.

***

Will hadn't made it out of work as quickly as he'd hoped, getting bombarded by a few students who had questions about his lecture. Finally he did, hurried to Lucas’ and parked in front of his lover’s cabin. A bad feeling swirled in his gut as he got out and saw the open door.

Jogging inside, the empath felt a wave of emotion crash over him, since he no longer built forts for the man he loved. Bile rose in his throat at the sight of Lucas on the floor, bloody and beaten as he rushed to his side. "Lucas, fuck, I....let me help you," he said, taking shaky breaths as he knew exactly who'd done this. He reached his hand out, in offering to try to help him to his feet so he could tend to his wounds.

Lucas looked at Will with wide eyes, disbelief washing over his face as he recoiled from the younger man. “No...no…don’t touch me” he jerked back, looking at him with horror. “Why, Will?” He asked, the pain in his amber gaze burning like fire.

“Why didn’t you tell me about him? Why are you even with me? Because I’m a cheap fucking version of him?”

Of course Hannibal would come to Lucas, plant the seeds of doubt, try to strip him away from all that he loved. Hurt and angry, the latter at Hannibal, Will stepped back and put his one hand in his pocket, his eyes growing wet but not spilling. He couldn't stand seeing that look in the older man's eyes. "I'm...I'm sorry, Luke, I should have told you about Hannibal, but it's not why I'm with you," he said rubbing a shaky hand over his face as he took a breath. "You're  _ not _ a cheap version of him, you’re vastly better. He's doing what he always does and that's getting into people's heads, manipulating and rebuilding them. He wants you to think that, so we’ll split and he can try to take me for his own."

Lucas backed away further, wiping blood from his jaw but not taking his eyes off the younger man. The look on his face was pure, wounded pain. “Why, Will? Why did you come back to the store? Why didn’t you just leave me alone? When you saw me, saw I looked like him? He has come back for you, says you’re his soul mate and you know what, maybe you are, you were only using me to remind yourself of who you really wanted,” he spat out bitterly, chest heaving. He bent forward slightly, ribs in obvious pain from the beating Hannibal had inflicted upon him, crimson still streaming from his mouth to the wooden floor. “Get out, Will, get out of here now, just leave! Get out! GO!” He stood as straight as he could manage and shoved against Will’s chest suddenly, pushing him out the door.

Will was shocked, not at Hannibal, that was expected, but that Lucas wouldn't let him explain, and had kicked him out. But even still, he wasn't mad at him, wasn't going to blame him for what was Hannibal's fault, though admittedly, he knew he should've told Lucas long before now. He didn't try to go back in after him, and instead a storm storm clouds began to roll in as he knew what he had to do. With one last glance he turned on his heel and got into his truck heading home to feed the dogs first.

A tear rolled down his cheek as he pulled in front of his own cabin, going inside. Once he'd let the dogs out and fed them, he saw a note on his counter top, written on a hotel paper pad that read:

" _ Dearest William, Should you change your mind and wish to see me again, I will be staying at this location indefinitely _ . _ Fate has seen us thrown together, torn us apart, and joined us anew. You will soon realize that your past, present and future rests with me, my exquisite treasure. Yours, Hannibal. _ "

Will seethed, and crumpled it into a wad and then shoved it into his pocket, grabbing a knife, his phone and his keys, heading back to the truck once the dogs were in and taking off.

_ *** _

Lucas splashed icy cold water on his face in an attempt to clean his wounds, but his face was a mess. He carefully applied bandages where he could, but finally just decided to drink away his anguish, abandoning the glass entirely and simply sitting out on the front porch with the entire bottle of whiskey. He sat on the porch swing and drank until he passed out.

***

Sometime later, Will made it to the good doctor's hotel and knocked on the door. He didn't want to be here, he wanted to be with Lucas, tending to his wounds and kissing him reassuringly. As he stood waiting, with danger in his vivid blue eyes, he thought about exactly what he was going to say, and do. 

Having been waiting patiently for the impending knock on the door, Hannibal opened it. He bore several cuts and bruises on his face and hands from his scuffle with Lucas, but was otherwise calm in demeanor as he looked up at Will in the doorway.

“And so you found me…” he began.

Will walked in, past Hannibal, his eyes cold and and blazing all at once. "Wasn't that the point of your message, Doctor Lecter and with your sad excuse for a love note?" he spat, and pulled the wadded paper from his pocket, chucking it onto the table. He took a moment to look at Hannibal's face, the cuts and bruises meant Lucas got in a decent amount of hits in return.  _ Good, _ he thought, his breath coming out in ragged bursts.

"Last we spoke, you said you wouldn't try to take Lucas from me, and yet you went there, all the same. Wound him up and watched him go..."

“I was curious what would happen. You know me, William. More than that, you surely didn’t expect me to come all this way and simply  _ leave _ ,” the doctor said, walking with his hands behind his back, giving Will some space yet following at the same time.

"Curious..." Will growled, "and destructive. Congratulations, Doctor, you've taken yet another from me, but this time, there will be a _ reckoning _ ." As soon as the last word left his mouth the wolf hauled back and punched Hannibal in the jaw, using his boot to assist in tripping him. Once the cannibal was on the ground, the enraged man straddled the monster's hips and began punching him blow after blow, delighting as the blood started to pour. "I don't want you, I don't want to see you, I don't want to be near you, and I will  _ never _ love you," he roared, each word punctuated with another violent strike.

Hannibal lay passively on the ground, taking the blows as though they were gifts, almost smiling up at Will, arching into them as more and more blood splattered across the doctor’s face with each volley.

The empath grew madder with each punch, and was annoyed that Hannibal wasn't fighting back, even seemed to be enjoying it. He wrapped his hands around the doctor's throat and began to squeeze, trembling as he thought back to one of their sessions where he'd said if he killed him, it would be with his hands and  _ that _ made him stop. Chest heaving, Will looked down at Hannibal, his shirt having come undone a few buttons in the struggle and stood up, wiping his the back of his bloody hand over his his sweaty brow. "You're not worth the intimacy, but if you come around around Lucas or myself again, I  _ will _ kill you," he said, darkly and buttoned up his shirt, backing up slowly towards the door.

"Goodbye, Hannibal."

Will left the room and once he was on his way back to Lucas' he called Jack Crawford, and told him exactly where he could find Hannibal Lecter. He would take his freedom, if at all possible, to insure he would be left alone forever.

Back at  Lucas' cabin, Will saw that he passed out on the porch and sighed, feeling horrible that all of this had happened. He was still bloody but he'd wiped his hands off and took off his flannel. The curly haired man got out of the truck and walked up, trying to rouse the Dane. When he couldn't, he used what power he had left and got him inside, tucking him into bed once he'd removed his clothing down to his boxers. The next thing he did was check the older man's wounds and fed Daisy, who'd been outside with her master.

The heartbroken fisherman watched Lucas sleep for a minute and then kissed his lips, writing him a quick note to tell him they needed to talk tomorrow and that he loved him. After leaving it on the night stand, he left, and locked up with the spare key he'd been given, heading to his own home.

 


	9. Chapter 9

Lucas woke with his head throbbing in agony. He opened his eyes - correction, one eye - the other still swollen shut from his beating the day before. There was nothing on his body that wasn’t screaming in pain, and as he rolled over and sat up, he tried to remember anything else. Just as quickly, he realized he didn’t want to. A piece of paper on his nightstand found it’s way into his field of vision, and he picked it up; it was from Will. The pain came back anew as he recalled the painful things his mysterious doppelganger had said.

Will had been up since the sun rose, not sleeping well at all for the first time in forever. After he'd eaten and tended to the dogs, he paced back and forth, trying to decide if he should wait, or go talk to Lucas. His curiosity and concern overrode his patience, and he headed out on foot to go see the Dane. He'd give this one more shot and if that didn't work, he'd have to accept he'd lost him forever. Finally the teacher reached Lucas' cabin, and knocked on the back door, three times, a thermos of coffee in his hand.  

Lucas went to the door, though he knew who it was, this time. Will had a key, but the Dane knew he was knocking because of what had happened. It was all like some horrible nightmare. 

He opened the door without looking at Will, leaving it to turn away from him again, back towards the kitchen counter where he was putting some dog food in a dish for Daisy. Wordlessly, he filled the bowl and set it on the floor for the little puppy, who ran over excitedly, tail wagging to inspect the food, and immediately begin eating. 

Will walked inside, looking at Lucas as he ignored him. It was almost too painful to bear. He knew that while it was his fault for not telling him about Hannibal sooner, that he also had the wrong impression. "Lucas...I think we should talk," he sighed, rubbing his bicep, knuckles swollen and bruised. "Please?" 

Lucas looked in his direction, still not meeting his gaze. He went for his coffee cup, pouring some freshly made into the mug. “Kaffe?” He asked Will, finally speaking to him. 

“Thanks, but I uh, I actually brought over a thermos," Will said, scratching his beard, "Wasn't sure you'd be awake." He walked over to stand closer to Lucas, but not invasively so. "I went to  _ deal _ with Hannibal yesterday, after I left here, beat him almost to the point of death, and warned him to stay away. He won't be an issue any longer, I don't believe..."

Lucas tried to keep his temper in check and exhaled a shaky breath. “I don’t know why you’d do that,  _ William,”  _  he said, throwing bitter sarcasm on his name, calling him what Hannibal had called him before. “I won’t get between you two.” 

"Lucas, please," Will said, setting down the thermos and inwardly cringing at the emotional assault, the boiling flood waters of anger that he felt from the Dane. "You think I am with you because you look like him, and since I hid that from you, it validates that suspicion in your mind, but that's  _ not _ why. I kept him hidden because of what he  _ is _ ...he is the devil made flesh, a man formed by dark swarming flies," he finally said, waiting a moment to let that bit sink in before he added, "The Chesapeake Ripper." 

Lucas couldn’t bring himself to sit. He paced in front of Will and finally looked up at him, as much as it hurt to do so. “I don’t know what that means. I don’t know what any of that means. I only know he said you were soul mates, bound by some kind of  _ everlasting unquenchable love _ , and that I am a meaningless dalliance. A fucking...a place card holder for him while you waited for him to show up. Well, here he is...Now  _ you’re _ telling me he’s the devil. Sounds like the two of you have a lot to talk about. Nothing I’m involved in. Just a really unlucky coincidence, I guess, me looking like this and running into you. And falling...in love...fucking stupid…” he choked on the last part, tears welling up in his eyes anew as his face crumpled in anguish.

Will sighed, a quick image of the wendigo curling its long black fingers around Lucas' shoulders, grinning with triumphant victory at the Dane's tears. He shuddered, and took a deep breath before he clasped his hands gently on the older man's face, blue eyes gazing intently into amber hues. "Lucas, you are not a placeholder. Everything you're thinking now is because Hannibal  _ wants _ you to. He had a carefully worked out plan, and we were both just pawns in his game of chess. He is always playing, twisting and moving pieces, changing rules. I love you, not because I think you are Hannibal, but for all the reasons you are  _ not _ ," he explained, "He and I were never together, Doctor Lecter was my therapist, wanted me to become him, a killer like him, and I pulled us off a cliff just to avoid that very thing." 

 Lucas blinked in confusion. “Never together? Weren’t you lovers?” he asked, his vision clearing as he tried to focus on Will’s face. The touch of Will’s hand felt soothing even though his chest hurt so deeply even still, just thinking of everything that man had said to him. “Wait...what do you mean you pulled him off a cliff?”

"No, no, he was- is, in love with me, but we were never lovers, and is not my soul-mate. I never thought I had one...until you," Will answered, thumbing over Lucas' high cheekbone. "I pulled him over the edge of an eroding bluff after we killed a serial killer together, the Great Red Dragon...I couldn't allow him to live and I tried to take us both out of this world, because he had me convinced I was something that I'm not, at least not how  _ he _ thought." Will paused and slid his hands down to the older man's shoulders. "I see now why I survived, and that was to find  _ you _ , Luke." 

 Lucas’ mouth fell open again in surprise. “You...you _weren’t lovers?_ ” His breath hitched in his throat at the touch of Will’s hand. “So, this man wanted you but you never did anything with him? Did you want to do something with him? Is...is any part of him anything to do with why you...why you pursued me?” Lucas asked, his eyes still sad and wet with tears. 

"No," Will reiterated, but not unkindly, "We were not lovers and while I may, at one time, have thought he and I might've become more, it had nothing to do with why I pursued you." The fisherman felt his own eyes dampen with emotion; he worried Lucas would never forgive him and that all of this would be thrown away. "I've...never known myself, as well as I know myself when I'm with you...you've changed me more than he ever could have, you let me be who I am without wanting anything back except for my love and you have that, Lucas,  _ all _ of it and all of  _ me _ ." 

The words took Lucas’ breath away and pulled at his heart; he looked into Will’s eyes deeply. “I feel the same. I’ve never opened myself to anyone as much as I have with you. I feel as though you truly see me somehow, see through and past my pain. See there is more to me than just that. And I, I only want your love, all of your heart, all of you. He said I hadn’t seen your darkness, but I  _ have _ , and it’s still beautiful, Will. I want all of it and every part of you,” the Dane said, reaching for Will’s hands as he spoke, tears falling hot down his face.

Will held Lucas' hands, and gently pulled him closer, staring into his eyes with more love than he'd ever given any other human being. "No one else could be what you are to me, I...I couldn't survive losing you, Luke," the younger man whispered, a tear rolling down his cheek, and then another. "You've seen more of me than anyone, I'm just sorry you had to see my past, I didn't want you to drag you into that world of mine, a world that no longer exists.  _ This _ is all that matters, you and me."

Lucas cupped Will’s cheek then, his thumb brushing over the tears that fell to wipe them away. “If you truly mean that, Will...if you really do mean it, I am yours, all of me. And this is all that matters - us. Not him, not the past, just us….” he leaned closer to place gentle kisses across Will’s face, finally moving to his mouth.

"I wouldn't lie to you, Luke, I don't open myself like this, not to such profound degrees," Will promised, between and then wrapped both well muscled arms around Lucas, deepening their kiss. He was desperate to feel his beloved in any way possible, he needed him. "I want you,  _ always _ ."

Lucas placed both hands on Will’s face and looked at him. “If that man comes back here again,tries to take you from me...I believe you, that everything he said was manipulation, lies. I want you only for me, Will.”

If Hannibal comes back, I'll kill him, I swear it," Will said, meeting Lucas' gaze. "I don't think he will, I'm fairly certain I got the message across to him, that and...I called Jack, my old boss at the FBI, and told him exactly where he could find Doctor Lecter. It's just you and I from here on out." 

Lucas stared at Will in surprise. “Does that mean he’s wanted by the FBI? He’ll be taken into custody?” He asked, rubbing a thumb across Will’s jaw. 

"Yes," Will nodded, and turned his head to kiss Lucas' thumb. "He's killed many, eaten them, but he may expect that I would call Jack. If so, he's likely gone by now. Either way, the message was signed and sealed that I do not belong to him." 

“We can hope Jack has him. Either way...Will…” Lucas took him by the hand and pulled him into his arms, holding him tightly against his chest. “Either way, you’re mine. Only mine.”

"Only yours, and you are mine," Will agreed, and wrapped his arms around Lucas, nosing into his neck. He kissed there, taking in his scent, the aroma he'd become used to, it felt like home-- Luke was his home. "Jack will call and let me know, but probably not until later today."

The Dane closed his eyes in bliss and curled his fingers in further around Will’s waist. “”I’m sorry for what I said, Will. I was angry and afraid and confused. He misled me. I’m sorry, Will,” he said, his voice rough with emotion.

Will pulled back and looked into Lucas warm amber eyes, and thumbed over his alpine cheekbone. "No, Luke, it's me who should've told you about Hannibal before now," he whispered, and then leaned into kiss him, softly. "I'm just relieved he didn't do...more than what he did.  He wanted me to  _ see _ you this way, and feel the pain of you letting me go, a punishment for what was in his mind, my betrayal."

“Because you spurned his advances?” Lucas asked, incredulous. “He must be truly psychotic.” He shook his head slowly. Of course he had no real idea of what the man was capable of, but what little he had seen had shown him Hannibal was at best dangerous. 

"There's not a word for what he is," Will said, and then kissed Lucas again. He pulled back and looked into Lucas' eyes, his own blue eyes wide with love and relief. "Let's not talk about him, not right this minute at least. I'd rather focus on you, on  _ us _ ."

Lucas wrapped his hands around the back of Will’s head and without further words, licked across his bottom lip and inside his mouth. He pressed Will’s body into the counter behind him and just held him there, simply needing to feel Will under his hands, under his lips. His breathing deepened as his kiss did, Lucas releasing a soft, needy moan. 

Will clutched at the back of Lucas' shirt, unwilling to let him go. Their time apart, though brief, had been unbearable, and he was pouring all of his love right into the older man's mouth. Nostrils flared as he took in sharp breath after breath, groaning and plundering his boyfriend's mouth.

“Will…” Lucas whispered, his voice coming out in a desperate hiss. He felt exactly the same, as though he’d very nearly lost Will to this other man, and the thought had broken his heart. The grief and anguish if thinking he’d lost the first good thing in his life in so long, and now knowing he truly had Will back, fueled the passion behind his eager kisses as he leaned the younger man back over his kitchen counter.

"Lucas..." Will breathed out, hooking a leg around Lucas' and grinding his hips into him. His skin was ablaze with passion and love, kissing the Dane back with equal urgency. "God, please, fuck me," he murmured, needing the connection again, to re-solidify their bond, their unbreakable union. It was much more than just sex, it was a melding, a coming together of their hearts, bodies and souls. 

The words unlocked something inside Lucas, and he found himself desperately pulling off Will’s clothes, stripping him naked in his kitchen. He needed to feel him skin on skin, needed the contact and touch of him again. The older man groaned, licking into Will’s mouth and tasting him as he lifted his ass up onto the kitchen counter and sat him there, pushing between his thighs and grinding their erections together. “God yes, Will, I need you,” he huffed between kisses. 

Will's eyes flashed dark, and he pulled Lucas' shirt open, buttons flying across the kitchen as he leaned forward and scraped his pearly fangs over the Dane's carotid artery, feeling his pulse. "I want your heart, your soul, all of it, it belongs...to  _ me _ ..." he growled, and bit there, making a bruise and tasting just a bit of copper. Strong thighs wrapped around the older man as he kept him close and ran blunt nails down the sinew of his back. "We're... _ conjoined. _ "

Lucas’ eyes widened and he groaned at the pain of the bite and the intensity of the younger man’s words. It was the same side he’d seen the night he’d killed Johan, and it sent his heart racing with arousal, with an animalistic hunger and need. “For helvede, Will, ja, yes, we are, I am,” he whispered in answer. He shoved Will roughly further over the counter and bit a rough kiss in reply, his teeth snapping harshly over the tender flesh of Will’s neck as the younger man’s own blood dripped down and pooled in delicate beads on his tongue. 

The younger man all but howled at the bite he received in return and snaked his hands between them to undo Lucas' pants, wanting him inside. He got off the counter to work them down, and then captured the Dane's lips to share a rough bloody kiss, mixing their essences together, tongues colliding. Will's heart thudded like a drum in his chest as he nipped at his beloved's lips, rolled his hips as the hunter to stepped out of his pants, leaving them both nude. "C'mon, Luke... _ need _ you-"

Lucas cleared everything off the countertop and picked Will up, setting his naked bottom down on and pushing him back with an almost violent kiss as he reached for a bottle of oil. Slicking himself up quickly, he barely pulled away from Will’s mouth even for a second. “I need you too, Will,” he gasped, pressing his bare chest against his lover’s feverishly. 

Will wrapped his arms around Lucas' shoulders and kissed him deeply, sucking his tongue and spreading his thighs so he could be taken. Never in his life had he ever craved or wanted someone as badly as he did the man kissing him now. They saw each other, connected in ways he'd always longed for and it was beautiful. " _ Please _ , Lucas..."

The Dane held his breath and looked down between their bodies as he lined up along Will’s hot, puckered entrance, pressing into him until his body gave way. Locking eyes with him, he pushed in deep and hard, shuddering as the first ring of muscle squeezed down the length of his cock. “God…”

Taking in a deep breath, Will held Lucas' gaze, fingers weaving through soft chestnut strands. It felt so indescribable, rekindling the fires of their union, and coming back together and Will knew he was hopelessly in love. The Dane had his heart and he never wanted it back. "Oh, Fuck-"

Lucas focused completely on Will’s eyes as he sank deeply and fully into his lover, the hot clutch of his body sucking him in and pushing him out as he began to roll his hips ever so slowly. He could feel his resolve slipping, the urge to fuck Will hard and fast building and spreading like a wildfire in his loins, and with a shuddering breath he panted, “I need…fuck, Will, I need…”

Will groaned, every nerve ending in his body seeming to cry out in with pleasure as he was fill to the brim with Lucas' cock, with emotions. He pulled their mouths together, licking into his mouth as he drew in sharp ragged breaths. The fisherman needed to be taken hard, wanted every trace of what had happened removed and stripped, so that all that remained was just the two of them. 

"Fuck me hard, Luke, let me  _ feel _ you..." 

With Will’s words, his reserve was unleashed, and he began a fevered pace, battering into him. Sweat glistened over his biceps as he leaned over the younger man’s form, dark strands of brown, blonde, and ashen hair falling into his eyes, lips curling into an animalistic snarl as his hips jackhammered into Will with a fervor he’d not yet shown. All the emotion and rage and jealousy and desire of what Hannibal had inflicted upon them seemed to be ripped from his psyche and poured out over their naked bodies on his kitchen counter. “Can you feel  _ this _ , Will?” he asked in a ragged whisper, dragging his teeth sharply across his neck. 

"Fuck, yes, Lucas," Will growled, his blue eyes blazing with dark lust as he was pounded with brute force. It was truly a side he'd never seen of Lucas but he really like it.  The man above him was beautiful, powerful, and yet still so kind and loving. Will decided he was never letting him go, they were tied together for all time, their stars the same. He leaned forward and bit down on the Dane's neck, keeping his other side exposed for his lover to do as he pleased. "You feel good, very good." 

Lucas rolled his hips into the fishermen, dragging his cock over his prostate over and over, his thighs banging on the countertop as he moved faster. He cried out in a deep moan at the bite; it reminded him of their night outside, near Johan’s dead body, both of them covered in blood. The sting of pain shot through him and jolted him to reciprocate, sinking his own fangs into the tender, sweet skin of Will’s neck. As he bit, he suckled hard, hard enough to break skin and bruise, the need to mark and consume Will overpowering him as he pummeled into his body with increasing ferocity. 

"Shit," Will groaned, lapping at the blood that beaded into his mouth, gnarling there as he was bitten in turn. It was overwhelming in the most sinfully wonderful way and he only wanted more. The younger man's hole twitched around Lucas' cock, his body nearing the edge of release, threatening to tumble right over into the sea of their love. "Mine, all fucking mine-"

“Oh Will, I’m yours, completely yours,” Lucas growled, blood staining the shark-like shards of his canines as he rutted with a feral intensity into the younger man, thick fingertips now slipping to his hips and bruising him as he gripped him hard. He finally let go of one hip with his right hand to reach between their bodies, palming over the turgid flesh of Will’s weeping cock and stroking it brutally fast. Panting harshly in Danish, he gnawed against Will’s neck, groaning out his name.

Will moaned loudly, his jaw shifting and face contorting as he was fucked and stroked simultaneously. Lucas had more beast in him than even he had realized, though he’d sensed his power before now. It was entirely appealing and sexy as hell. He dug his fingers in to Lucas' back, and after two, three, four more passes, he was coming hard, spilling hot white ribbons of come over Lucas' knuckles. "Fuck, Fuck, Luke-!" 

Lucas gasped and moaned at the hot pulse of Will’s body around him. A half down more fervent pumps and Lucas was bursting deep inside him, a cacophony of English and Danish spilling from his lips as his climax surged through him powerfully. “Oh fuck, Will! Oh Will…” Lucas’ mouth fastened on the side of the fisherman’s neck, sucking the sensitive flesh between gasps.

Gripping feathered strands, Will groaned, his hole squeezing every last drop of the Dane's spend. "Shit-" he panted, pulled Lucas' mouth up to meet his own for a languid kiss. He smiled over his boyfriend's shapely mouth, gazing at him as he spoke, "So we're good now?" 

Lucas struggled to catch his breath, leaning on the counter over Will’s body and kissing him soundly. “Oh, skat, we are better than good. I love you so much, Will. In fact...I think...would you….you should move in with me, Will,” he blurted out in a rush suddenly. 

Will's blue eyes widened at that and he instantly hugged Lucas tight, kissing him again. His heart started pounding again but for an entirely different reason. He was so happy that things were repaired with Lucas, but the idea of moving in with him made him feel elated in a way he'd never imagined. "Yes, I...I would really like- love that. I love you too." 

“We’re always at each other’s houses anyway. No sense paying rent both places. I want to wake up with you, Will. Oh...Oh…” realization washed over Lucas’ features suddenly. “You said yes!” He exclaimed, beaming. He leaned in and kissed Will passionately, picking him up off the counter and carrying him across the kitchen and into the bedroom. 

"I did, yes," Will grinned, curling up with Lucas on the bed, kissing him back with equal passion and love. He loved seeing that look in his beloved's eyes, and all he needed now was to hear back from Jack, which should be soon, to find out news on Hannibal.  The empath pushed that back for now and focused again on their plans. "So which place do we keep? Yours or mine?"

“Mine is a little bigger, don’t you think? Plus I have the work shed for our hunting and fishing gear. And I do own the place, I bought it.” Lucas gazed on Will with love shining in his eyes. The American was everything he had ever wanted. There was so much he hoped yet to do with him, so much to learn and explore about each other,  _ with  _ each other.

"Your place it is," Will smiled. He hadn't bought his place, he was renting to own, so it made sense. He reached up and caressed Lucas' sharp cheekbone with the tips of his fingers. "I...as long as we're together, I don't care where we live and I've never wanted to share a home with anyone." 

Lucas dipped his head beneath Will’s chin, tipping it up and peppering kisses under his jawline. “It's been a long time since I lived with anyone, but I could get used to waking up every morning next to you.”

Will canted his head back into the pillow, enjoying the kisses as he threaded calloused digits through chestnut strands. "Same, Luke," he sighed, happily, out through his nose. His phone started to ring then, from the kitchen, and he leaned over to capture Lucas' mouth once more before he realized it might be important. "I should answer that." 

The ex-agent, got up and walked bare-assed back into the kitchen to get his pants. He fished out his phone and answered, walking back into the bedroom. As he talked, he paced, and finally hung up after a couple of minutes.

"That was Jack Crawford..." Will said, sitting back on the bed, once he'd sat the phone down. "Hannibal is gone. Like I thought, he saw what I was going to do, and left before he could get caught. He's likely in another country by now or on his way. I don't think we'll be bothered by him again...he's gotten the message."

Lucas’ face drained of color at the realization. “So he's still out there,” he said, sitting up against the headboard and rubbing his jaw. He looked over at Will with concern. “How can you be sure he won’t come after us again? He might do anything, might try and kill me, kidnap you.”

Will wrapped his arm around Lucas, rubbing his back and sighed. "He won't. Hannibal once gave himself up so I would always know where to find him. Another time he gutted me before leaving. He isn't a man who leaves without a goodbye or big show, unless he's chooses to," the fisherman explained, looking into his boyfriend's eyes. "Doctor Lecter knows he lost, and it would be... undignified, to continue trying."

The Dane shook his head. “How did you manage with him for so long? We will be wary. Perhaps we should move altogether?” The more time he spent with him, the more he thought about their future and what he wanted; he also didn’t want to move too fast and frighten Will away, and moving in was already a big step. 

"I don't want you to have to uproot your life because of me and I don’t want to either. Hannibal will find me, if he wants to bad enough and it wouldn't matter where we went, Luke," Will said, taking his beloved's hand and lacing their fingers together. "We will not let him make us run and hide. He's done enough damage. I survived him, so that I could be led to you."

“Then he served what little horrible purpose he had. If all the evil he did to you could only have one meaning, then I am grateful for that. I’m grateful we brought us together, my precious Will,” Lucas said, stroking Will’s cheek affectionately. He held tight to the young man’s hand, wanting to never, ever let go.

"He did, and so am I. We'll always be together, as one. I love you, Lucas," Will said, and leaned over to kiss him slowly. He treasured the words his beloved said. As they held hands and expressed their love, the empath mused in more detail that all roads had lead here; they would have their new life, he and Lucas, a home together with their three dogs and he knew that this was all part of one big design. 

  *******

Three months had passed, and there had been no sign of Hannibal Lecter-- not even the hint of a whisper. Will had moved into Lucas' cabin, and had started trying to convince him to return to teaching, but ultimately he would leave that up to him. They settled in nicely, in their domesticity and the fisherman had never been happier. 

Lucas too found himself finally at peace, feeling whole, complete and utterly blissful with Will. He felt the companionship, friendship, love and passion he shared with the young man brought him everything he’d been missing and longing for since the nightmare that had taken place so many years before in his homeland had torn his life apart. He wouldn’t let anything or anyone take this from him now. 

_ Neither _ one of them would. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for the comments, kudos and for reading! This is not the last of our babies, so expect this to turn into a series later! :D


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